


The End of Ever After

by infpeevish



Category: Ever After High
Genre: Broken Friendships, Dark Ever After High, F/F, F/M, Minor Character Death, Senior year, Too many characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:46:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 30,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23941786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/infpeevish/pseuds/infpeevish
Summary: With the thrilling events of Epic Winter behind them, the Ever After High students are back for a fourth and final year. Darling Charming wants to prove herself as the perfect White Knight. Chase Redford is happy to be away from his mother and Red Knight duties. Duchess Swan is trying to wash away her mean-girl image and make amends. Cedar Wood is scared: she knows exactly how to break her curse, but the consequences are too big to ignore. And Briar Beauty is coming face to face with her awful destiny.When Queen Snow White is tragically murdered, all five teens are thrown for a loop. Suddenly they don't know who to trust--not even their best friends. And when their friends start disappearing, they realize it's up to them to figure out who is behind the assassination plot. But will they be able to put out the flames of evil engulfing their world? Or will the fire overcome the Ever After seniors?
Relationships: Ashlynn Ella/Hunter Huntsman, Briar Beauty/Hopper Croakington II, Bunny Blanc/Alistair Wonderland, Chase Redford/Justine Dancer, Daring Charming/Lizzie Hearts, Darling Charming/Holly O'Hair, Dexter Charming/Raven Queen, Ramona Badwolf/Kitty Cheshire, Sparrow Hood/Duchess Swan
Comments: 54
Kudos: 66





	1. Important Retcon Information

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Please read to understand the slightly-altered EAH universe I'm working with! The prologue will be posted soon after :)

Before the story begins, I’ve made a few changes to the canon that I’ll need to frontload (spoilers obviously ahead):

-Briar never told Apple and Raven that she threw the Storybook of Legends down the Well of Wonder (Way Too Wonderland retcon)  
-Chase Redford attends Ever After High (Way Too Wonderland retcon)  
-Apple’s father died years back (Book retcon)  
-Most events through Epic Winter and the few episodes following occurred (no change)  
-Though Daring is destined to be the prince in Beauty and the Beast, there is no romance between him and Rosabella (Epic Winter retcon)  
-“The End of Ever After” was written with more mature characters in mind. They’re supposed to be fourth-years, after all! Their clothing styles and art have also been updated (for visual reference). Google ‘Ever After High Prince Ivy’ to see amazing art by Prince Ivy, an awesome artist! That’s how I imagine these characters would look in this story.

The rest are minor relationship changes that would spoil the story if I made them known now. Happy reading!


	2. Prologue

The aggressive flames bounced higher and higher in the sky, washing Cedar Wood in a golden-orange glow. The daughter of Pinocchio was mesmerized by the how carefree the fire was. Sure, it burned everything it touched and left ashen, charred destruction in its wake, but the fire had a peculiar life to it that reminded Cedar of her friend Maddie Hatter.

  
Maddie. 

  
The haberdashery and tea shop!

  
Cedar blinked out of her trance and reassessed the situation. Book End was ablaze. Civilians screamed like harpies and scurried around in a collective panic. Bakeries and shoe shops and bookstores all were cloaked with fire. The air was thick with black smoke, though Cedar was spared from its dangerous effects. Cedar winced as the wooden sign above Hocus Latte crashed to the ground.

  
She hoped her Wonderlandian friend and her father were safe. Though Cedar wasn’t anywhere near their shop, she knew the popular hangout spot hadn’t been spared. Like everything else in Book End, the haberdashery and tea shop most likely would be crumbling and buckling under the flames.

  
Her wooden arms began to stiffen as if they could sense the danger surrounding her. She had to get out of here.

  
Cedar sped off toward the place she knew as her home—Ever After High. It was nearly half a mile away from Book End. Usually it took Cedar seven minutes to journey into the village from school, but the threat of mass destruction put some fire in her step. She made it in just under four minutes. Her roommate would be proud.

  
The good feelings about her fast time fizzled almost as quickly as they arrived once she took a good look at the school. Ever After High was on fire, too.

  
Cedar watched in horror as students fled the school. A few of them carried what few items they could bring. Nearly everyone was in tears. In the distance she could see Sparrow Hood, Poppa Bear, and Ginger Breadhouse helping students flee the flames. Up above one one of her giant plants, Jillian Beanstalk extended a helping hand toward Melody Piper, who was trapped in her dorm room.

  
“Cedar!”

  
Her roommate zoomed in front of her without adequate warning. Cedar stumbled back in surprise. Cerise had abandoned her signature hood and allowed her ears to show freely. Cedar was proud of her.

  
Cerise reached her hands out and shook Cedar. “Cedar, are you all right?”

  
Cedar nodded. “I’m fine. Well, physically I’m unharmed, but mentally…” She gestured toward the school. “This is horrible!”

  
“I know. But you need to get out of here!” Cerise doubled over as she hacked out a cough. The smoke must have gotten to her. “You’ll burn!”

  
“So will you! Yes, I’m made of wood, but you’re not invincible either! You have to get to safety.”

  
She had Cerise there. Cerise glanced back at the fire. Her sharp incisors caught on her lip and drew a bit of blood. Cedar knew she must be terrified if she was letting her guard down like this.

  
Finally Cerise wiped her mouth turned back to her. “I need to go help get people out. I’m quick; I can avoid the flames. Apple has set up a refugee camp on the outskirts of Ever After. That’s where everyone is going. Follow the crowd and stay away from the fire. Think you can do that for me?”

  
“Yes, I can.” Cedar nodded.

  
Cerise blew out a sigh of relief before coughing again. “Don’t die on me, kid.”

  
Cedar reached out and squeezed her best friend in a tight hug. Usually Cerise would yank herself way and snap at her for being overly touchy, but the horrifying events of the day mast have unlocked the softer side of the daughter of Red Riding Hood. Cerise gingerly returned the hug. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

  
All too soon, Cerise pulled away. “Go.”

  
Cedar saluted and watched as her friend bolted toward the school at superhuman speed.

  
She raised her head and soaked in the image of the turrets and funky add-ons to the building sporting uncontrollable flames. Was this the last time she’d see her beloved school? She thought of all the amazing memories she and her friends made in the building, all the crazy adventures they went on. There was the post-Legacy Day food fight, Spring Fairest, Thronecoming, the baking bonanza, Tri-Castle-On, the Dragon Dames and the Evil Queen conquest…the school had seen a lot of excitement over the past few years. Now it was all over. 

  
Almost as if in a trance, Cedar made her way off Ever After High’s grounds, through the outskirts of Book End, and past the fields of flowers that was home to many animals and pixies. She joined the pack of refugees trudging through the Enchanted Forest, barely even paying attention to who she was walking with or what sorts of interesting surprises the forest had to offer.

  
_“Do you think they’ll be able to put out the fire?”_ a young man said next to her.

  
_“I don’t think they will, Phil. The flames are everywhere, even the school. The best they can do is contain it and hope there’s enough Ever After left to salvage.”_ An older woman patted his back and pointed ahead. _“Let’s keep going.”_

  
Finally they reached an open field with multiple navy tents set up and spaced out. In the middle of the flurry of people was Apple White. Cedar’s friend had her hair tied plainly back in a ponytail and wore nothing but a black jumpsuit and flat shoes. The way she carried herself while giving directions and welcoming newcomers, though, was something Cedar had never seen before.

  
She looked truly regal.

  
“Cedar! You’re okay!” Apple looked relieved to see a familiar face. She leaned in and gave Cedar a quick hug, which the wooden girl happily returned. “I’ve put all the Ever After kids together in two tents. The girls are in the one on the far end.”

  
Not wanting to take up too much of her friend’s time, Cedar thanked Apple quickly and grabbed a hastily-made survival pack from one of Apple’s dwarf helpers. Everyone around her had faraway looks in their eyes, as if parts of them died in the fire back home. Though Cedar couldn’t feel strong emotions like they did, she could imagine how they were feeling.

  
Cedar peeled back the flap of the girls’ tent and was dismayed to see that she didn’t recognize a single face inside. She smiled wanly and greeted everyone quickly before relegating herself to a quiet corner. They were on the hard ground, but thanks to magic the tent was at least a bit more spacious than Cedar expected. She let her thoughts drift away to her friends Raven and Maddie. Where were they?

  
_“All we can do is sleep at this point,”_ a blue-haired girl said quietly to the girl next to her.

  
Cedar figured she was right, but had never slept before and thus couldn’t relate. Instead she curled up into a ball and tried not to think about how her whole world was burning down around her ears.

  
It didn’t work.

  
As the night wore on, the whispers of the girls in the tent turned into snores. Cedar tossed and turned and wished on every star in the known universe that she was a real girl who could eat and feel and sleep.


	3. Chapter 1 - Briar Beauty

One rose-heeled foot stepped out of the Beauty family hybrid limo. Then the other. The owner snapped her fingers twice, tripping off the automatic trunk-opening feature. Zephyrine, Emory, Willow, and Ayla, her four ladies-in-waiting, clamored out of the limo to help their princess with all twelve of her suitcases. If they each carried three, the princess wouldn’t have to bear any of the load. They didn’t trust her not to fall asleep while walking.

  
A carriage horn honked from behind the limo. The princess frowned. Some people were so impatient.

  
“You sure you don’t want us to come in with you, sweetie?” her mother called out softly from inside the vehicle. The horn must have woken her up.

  
“Yeah!” Gallantry yelled. The oldest of her little bothers paused his wrestling match with Loyalty to give his sister a cheeky grin. “We wanna see the school. You never let us in!”

  
“And I’m not going to start today. This is my last year at Ever After High. I want it to begin on a good note. I’ll Magic-Mirorrtime you guys later.” Her MirrorPhone chimed twice. Ashlynn wanted to know if she was on her way.

  
“But that’s not fair!”

  
She shot Gallantry a thorny glare, and he shut up.

  
Her mother was asleep again. Typical. Sleeping Beauty never did get over that napping habit. And worst of all? She passed it down to her fun-loving daughter. Life was so unfair!

  
Still, she had more important things to think about, like the page-ripping party she was throwing tomorrow night and her new schedule for the semester.

  
“Harold, you can take them into Book End for a bit, then come back in an hour for the ladies.” The princess eyed her brothers. “Tell Mom I said goodbye. And behave!”

  
The limo whisked away with the sound of her young brothers cackling. She just hoped they wouldn’t cause too much trouble in the village.

  
The impatient carriage pulled up to take the unloading spot. The gold, pink, and royal purple scheme wasn’t immediately recognizable, but as soon as its passengers opened the door, a smile grew on her face. Holly and Poppy O’Hair, Queen Rapunzel’s twin daughters. They both gave her a cheerful wave. She waved back. The excitement of another school year burbled up inside her.

  
“Princess Briar?” Willow, the tall lady-in-waiting with gorgeous green hair, shifted her weight as she struggled to keep a hold on the princess’s heavy suitcases. “Not to rush you, but are you almost ready to head in?”

  
She nodded and donned a smile. “Let’s do this.”

With the help of her ladies, Briar was able to unpack all twelve of her suitcases in record time. She only fell asleep once during the process. Ashlynn had arrived the day before and was already unpacked, giving them room to scurry around the room like blind mice. 

  
Briar shoved the last pink sweater into her extended wardrobe. “All right, I think that’s the last of it. You guys sure you can carry those things out of here?”

  
Zephyrine raised an eyebrow. “Well, we carried them in, didn’t we? They’re nowhere near as heavy now.”

  
She chuckled sheepishly. “Very true. Hey, thanks for your help. Harold should be here any minute now.”

  
Briar hugged her ladies goodybe and watched them leave the room. Now that they were gone with the boxes, the room felt huge and empty. As always when she felt alone, her mind drifted off to her impending one hundred year sleep. Was this what it would be like? Living alone in a room with no one for miles? The thorny feeling of despair blossomed in her stomach.

  
It was her last year at school. Headmaster Grimm was surely going to make her and the other Rebels sign the Storybook of Legends this year. Raven Queen, daughter of the Evil Queen and champion of the Rebels, was probably in the clear. Grimm couldn’t make her sign even when he tricked her into believing destruction would come to Ever After if she didn’t. Briar envied her. This year would probably be Raven’s most relaxing year at Ever After. 

  
People like Hunter Huntsman, Darling Charming, Cedar Wood, and herself, though, were likely to be forced into destinies they didn’t want. It was going to happen, Briar just knew it. The Brothers Grimm would make a huge deal about it during Legacy Day. Even though their Legacy Year was two years ago, they’d surely make space in the lineup. No one particularly notable was in the Class of 562 except for Winston Darling, the son of Wendy, Harper Pan, the mentee of Peter Pan, Timothy Claus, the grandson of Santa Claus, and Jasper Hook, the youngest of Captain Hook’s children. Despite her ugly feelings about the idea of signing your life away, Briar was excited for the Neverland revival.

  
Briar’s MirrorPad began to sing the theme song of Just Right, Blondie Lockes’s popular MirrorCast. The daughter of Goldilocks had honed her journalistic skills over the summer and morphed her vlogs into a respectable talk show. Giles Grimm even allowed her to use the school’s production room as her home base during the school year. Briar tuned in occasionally, but Blondie’s staunch Royal position colored her show in a way that put Briar off.

  
_“Coming to you live from Ever After High, it’s Blondie Lockes!”_ The cheerful blonde grinned into the camera as she sat in her studio. Briar turned her attention to the show. Not like much else was going on anyway. 

_“It’s day two of move-in day and we’ve got a jam-packed line up. It’s a bittersweet time for the Class of 560—we’re officially fourth-years! This star-studded class has made history at Ever After High. It’s the first time in nearly three centuries that so many high-profile children are in the same school year! Of course, you want to see who appeared on the scene today. Let’s roll the tapes!”_

  
Briar’s pixelated face immediately popped on the screen. Real-life Briar groaned. How had she missed Blondie’s incessant recording? Now the whole fairytale world could see her yelling at her little bothers in her fitted track pants and cropped rose hoodie.

_“Crown Princess Briar Beauty was one of the first to step on campus today. She is one of the many members of our senior class who hasn’t signed the Storybook of Legends. It’ll be exciting to watch how her story unfolds! Will Headmaster Grimm give her a second chance on Legacy Day? Or will her destiny as the next Sleeping Beauty remain uncertain?”_

The video ended, and Briar’s annoyed face was replaced by a much paler princess with black and red hair. _“Crown Princess Elizabeth Hearts also arrived today! Now that the Wonderland curse is gone, she was escorted to campus by her mother and a few of their card soldiers. Lizzie also has yet to sign the Book, though there’s no doubt that she’s already in the process of becoming the next Queen of Hearts!”_

A high-pitched _“Off with your head!”_ could be heard from the recording. Lizzie looked positively embarrassed as her mother made a scene. The future Queen of Hearts had mellowed out in the past year and was less prone to outbursts. Calls for beheadings were so last chapter.

  
Blondie popped back onto the screen. _“Oh, I almost forgot! Lizzie also arrived with her cousin, Prince Chase Redford! He was one of the new Wonderland kids last year. He’s also a fourth-year. The enchanting son of the Red Queen has stolen many hearts in his short time at Ever After High, but as of right now he’s single! His story is yet to be revealed.”_

  
Briar’s phone buzzed. Ashlynn was calling! Briar answered quickly, grateful for the distraction from Blondie’s mind-numbing show.

  
“Ashlynn! Boy, am I glad to hear from you.”

  
_“It’s good to hear from you too, Briar!”_ Ashlynn’s voice was especially cheerful today. _“And it’s so lovely to be back. It was so lonely in my parents’ castle all summer. I wish we could have visited each other more!”_

  
Briar picked at a loose thread on her comfortable. “Me too.” Her brothers kept her busy, as did her spontaneous naps, but Briar missed her best friend. Royal life was very isolating when they weren’t in school. It was part of the reason Briar liked to rage so much while at Ever After. That, and…

_“I’m at the fountain by the entrance. Want to join?”_

  
“Yes!” Finally, some human interaction! She hopped off her bed and slipped on her heeled boots. “I’ll see you in five!”

  
Four minutes later, Briar found herself outside amongst a crowd of students and parents. Everyone seemed ecstatic for the new school year. She spotted some familiar faces in the crowd but decided against saying hello. She was determined to find her best friend.

  
Just like she promised, Ashlynn Ella was waiting for her by the fountain. Just by looking at her, Briar could tell she was just with Hunter. Her cheeks were especially rosy, her eyes shone like stars, and a persistent smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. The two lovebirds didn’t need to hide their relationship anymore, but sometimes they seemed to forget.

  
Briar waved a hand in front of her face. “Ever After to Ashlynn!”

  
Her friend started. “Oh!”

  
They embraced quickly before sitting down. “Some crowd, huh?”

  
Ashlynn observed the crush before them. “Seems like half the fairytale world is here. Blondie says the first-year class is Ever After’s biggest ever.”

  
Briar pondered that. More students. More rumors, stares, and whispers about the Sleeping Beauty legacy. The Evil Queen was old news.

  
Yep. Raven definitely had it easy.

  
“She also said…” Ashlynn looked down at her lap. “She said that Headmaster Grimm is moving up Legacy Day.”

  
Briar’s head snapped back to reality. “She _what?!_ ”

  
Her roommate looked miserable. “He doesn’t want to leave any room for mishaps. He hasn’t announced it yet, but he wants all the fourth-years who didn’t sign to go first. Something about turning back the pages and writing wrongs.”

  
Briar’s heart shattered. How could this be happening?

  
“When?” she asked.

  
“Briar…”

  
_“When?”_

  
“In two weeks.”

  
Briar considered her options. She could run away. But to where? Back home? No, she’d rather sign her life away than chase after her brothers for one more day. Besides, her parents would just send her right back. Could she pull a Raven and refuse to sign? It would be admirable, but then Headmaster Grimm might actually kill her. She was stuck.

  
“What about Hunter?” At those words, Ashlynn’s face fell even further. She pitied her friend. Her boyfriend was destined to save Apple and Cerise, not live with her forever after.

  
“I’m sorry, Ash.” Briar scooped her friend up in a hug. They were all living on borrowed time.

  
“Promise me one thing,” Ashlynn said, her words muffled.

  
Briar pulled away. “What?”

  
“That you’ll throw the best party Ever After High has seen tomorrow night. We need a last hurrah.”

  
That was a given, but a newfound fire was stoked within Briar. “Count on it.”

  
And just when Briar thought her day couldn’t get any worse…

  
“Ashlynn!”

  
Apple White’s chipper voice cut through the crowd.

  
Briar rolled her eyes and stood up. “That’s my cue to leave.”

  
Ashlynn grabbed on to her friend’s wrist and held on tight. “Please don’t. You two need to talk it out and make up!”

  
“Absolutely not,” Briar snapped. “If Apple wants to apologize, she’s free to do so. Until then, I refuse to play nice with her. You can if you like.”

  
“Ashlynn!” Too late, Apple had arrived. Ever After’s golden girl beamed at her friend, completely ignoring Briar’s presence. Ashlynn wiped the uneasy look off her face and hugged Snow White’s daughter. 

  
“It’s so good to see you!”

  
“You too!”

  
“Can you believe we’re seniors?”

  
“Crazy, right?”

  
Briar watched the two of them reconnect. Not too long ago, she would be included in their little back-and-forth. Briar was Apple’s original best friend, after all. But after what happened over the summer, she had no desire to chum it up with Apple. She was too stuck in her old ways to see things from Briar’s point of view.

  
“Briar’s throwing a spell-tacular party tomorrow night. You’re coming, right?”

  
Apple’s blue eyes flicked over to her former friend for a second. Briar pretended to scroll through hext messages. She wasn’t going to give Apple an inch.

  
“I might. We’ll see. I’m pretty busy these days.”

  
“That’s okay, just try to stop by. It’s going to be in the Vault of Lost Tales. It’s a fourth-year celebration. Briar, wouldn’t it be awesome if Apple could make it?”

  
Briar glanced up from her phone. As nonchalantly as possible, she said, “It’s supposed to be a fun party. You know, rule-breaking and stuff? Anyone who’s cool with breaking tradition is allowed to come. Of course, Royals might not be comfortable with that.”

  
“There’s a difference between breaking tradition and tossing people’s futures down a well,” Apple said sharply.

  
“That dusty old book needed to go,” Briar said, heating up. “It was ruining people’s lives!”

  
“Oh sure, you know plenty about ruining people’s lives. First the book, then going behind your best friend’s back to sic her boyfriend on someone else…”

  
“Ex-boyfriend. Hard emphasis on ‘ex’! And besides, according to your logic, you shouldn’t be so pissed off about Daring dating Lizzie anyway, right? You’re supposed to be lusting after—”

  
Apple turned away from Briar and shut her eyes. “I only go where I’m wanted. See you later, Ashlynn.”

  
Ashlynn glared at Briar. “Why did you say all that?”

  
“You invited her to my party. Not me! I didn’t want that brownnoser there, so I made it clear.” Briar couldn’t believe Ashlynn was taking Apple’s side.

  
Her friend threw her hands into the air. “But we’re supposed to be showing unity, right? If Grimm finds out that you guys are on the outs, he’s going to investigate. And if he finds out that you threw the Book down the Well of Wonder, you could be in serious trouble. Possibly even legal trouble!” Ashlynn rubbed her forehead. “I’m going to go convince Apple to come to the party, and you’re going to pretend you’re happy to see her. We don’t need rumors floating around.” Her face softened. She almost never yelled like that. “I’ll see you later?”

  
Briar nodded numbly. She watched as Ashlynn took off after Apple. Ashlynn was right, as usual. Briar needed to keep a low profile until they graduated. She could tell Headmaster Grimm knew something wasn’t right and had been avoiding him since Thronecoming two years ago. So much was riding on her good behavior this year.

  
Crystal would know how to take her mind off all the craziness. Briar was delighted last year when her and Ashlynn’s old friend enrolled at Ever After High last year. She loved going on adventures almost as much as Briar.

  
Contented, Briar made her way through the crowd and into the building. She was going to find her friend, have some fun in Book End, and have an awesome start to her final year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Chapter 2 will be coming soon. Comment below with feedback--I welcome all critiques!


	4. Chapter 2 - Darling Charming

Darling Charming knew something was off when she woke up on the wrong side of the bed. She always slept on her left side, facing the door to her room, but on the morning of the first day of school, she found herself staring at the wall. She always had bad days when she woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Her head pounded like a drum. Was this really the result of two drinks?

  
The events of last night played out in her head. She and her friends had a blast at Briar Beauty’s party in the Vault of Lost Tales. Everyone could feel that this year was going to be like none other. Those with depressing tales partied particularly hard, downing drinks and dancing the night away. Unlike her peers, Darling knew how to keep a lid on her emotions. At least she hadn’t embarrassed herself.

  
On the other side of the room, Rosabella Beauty happily snored away. Two points for ‘bad day’. Rosabella never ever woke up after Darling. She always liked to take a morning stroll in the woods with her beastly friends. But Darling’s eyes weren’t deceiving her. Briar’s cousin was dead asleep.

  
Darling’s first class, Advanced Kingdom Management, was at nine, and it was already eight thirty. She rushed into the bathroom and quickly got ready for the day. Oversleeping was becoming a regular occurrence for Darling, but it was usually due to late nights acting as the White Knight of Wonderland. She couldn’t be late on the first day. It would reflect poorly on her and her family.

  
With a toss of her hair, time slowed down to a crawl. Now she could slow down and make sure she was adequately prepared for the first day.

  
She tugged on a short skirt, a studded jacket, thigh-high socks, and her favorite pair of heeled boots. In two swift motions, half of her white-blond-and blue hair was pinned up in matching high pigtails. Darling expertly applied makeup in front of her mirror before surveying her room. Bookbag? Check. MirrorPad for taking notes and watching Wonderland dramas? Check. Handy-dandy hunting knife? Check. She was all set. 

  
She glanced at her phone. Eight thirty-one. She could safely return time to normal. Another swish of her hair did just that.

  
“Rosabella!” Darling called out. Her roommate flipped over but didn’t wake up. She tried again. “Wake up! You’re going to be late!”

  
“Huh?” The daughter of Beauty and the Beast groggily raised her head from among her strewn pillows. Her dark hair was a mess. She patted around on her nightstand for her glasses.

  
Darling laughed. “We’ve got class today, remember? You’ve got to get ready!”

  
Fully sighted, Rosabella checked the time. “Curses, you’re right! I missed my morning walk!” She sat up, a disappointed expression on her face. “Thanks for waking me.”

  
“No problem,” Darling said with one foot out the door. “See you in Multivariable Crownculus!”

****

Advanced Kingdom Management was a snooze, but that was to be expected. It was the first day of classes and all the White Queen could do was go over the syllabus. Darling sat next to her twin brother, Dexter, and Meeshell Mermaid. She pretended to write down the due dates but was really watching one of her favorite W-dramas, Shuffle the Deck. It was only in Riddlish, but thankfully someone had added subtitles that made for excellent viewing in boring classes.

  
After AKM was Heroics 102, an elective that Darling strong-armed Baba Yaga into letting her take. She always loved sparring with the guys and humbling them whenever they got too cocky. By now they respected her. She didn’t become the White Knight by accident.

  
Darling exited the sparring arena in good spirits and was promptly accosted by Blondie Lockes’s ever-running MirrorPad.

  
“Helloooo, Darling! How are you doing this morning? Just right?”

  
Darling was too shocked to do much else but nod.

  
“I’m doing a special series on the fourth-years who haven’t signed the Storybook of Legends. And since you’re one of them, I thought I might interview you today! What do you say? It’ll take less than fifteen minutes.”

  
Knowing how Blondie could talk for hours, Darling doubted that time limit. But what was the harm? She had a free period before her next class. Surely an interview with the school’s most prolific gossip wouldn’t be too bad.

  
“Sure,” Darling said, against her better judgment.

  
Blondie beamed, looking slightly manic. “Oh, this is so exciting! You’re in for a treat!”

  
Before Darling could inquire about the ‘treat’ Blondie promised, she was whisked away to the girl’s studio. Blondie didn’t even need to use a key; as soon as her hand hovered near the door, it clicked open as if it had given up trying to keep her out. The studio was already up and running. Two big fairy lights faced the greenscreen across the room. Dozens of wires crisscrossed on the floor, forcing Darling to choose her steps carefully. Blondie paused the MirrorCast on her Pad and set up the camera in front of the screen.

  
“Have a seat! We’ll be starting shortly.”

  
Darling noticed there were three chairs, two on one side and one on the other. The single chair was cushioned and looked custom-made. That was probably Blondie’s; she was quite particular about chairs. Darling sat down in one of the others and stared awkwardly at Blondie. Who was the other seat for?

  
Blondie finished her setup and took her place across from Darling. She checked the time on her phone. “We’re just waiting on one other person. They should be here in three…two…one…”

  
The door to the studio swung open.

  
There, panting like she ran a mile, was Apple White.

  
Darling froze right where she sat. This was the stuff of nightmares. Was Blondie intending to hash out relationship drama on her show? This wasn’t what Darling had in mind when Blondie mentioned her surprise! At least Apple looked equally as horrified.

  
Blondie clapped obliviously. “Come have a seat, Apple! Glad you could make it.”

  
Apple didn’t budge.

  
“Apple?”

  
She swallowed hard. “I…uh…I just remembered I have to give Raven something. I should—”

  
Blondie waved her hand. “Nonsense! This will be good for you two! Besides, it will only take a few minutes.”

  
Robotically, Apple made her way to the empty chair. Darling instinctively pulled away when Apple got close. Her denial wouldn’t be enough. She would have to show the audience there was nothing between the two of them.

  
“Ready?”

  
Darling and Apple nodded stiffly.

  
Blondie counted down with her fingers.

  
_Three…two…one…_

  
“Helloooo, Ever After! This is another special episode of Just Right! I’m your host, Blondie Lockes, and today I’m here with two very special people. Say hello to Princess Darling Charming and Crown Princess Apple White!”

  
The camera magically panned to Darling and Apple. Darling forced herself to smile and wave.

  
“You all know what went down last year. The Evil Queen poisoned Apple White, leaving the poor girl helpless in the woods. Daring Charming tried to wake her with a kiss--but it didn’t work! But then, Darling Charming, Daring’s younger sister, assumed the role of hero and somehow woke our favorite princess up! The details are still murky, so let’s try to work them out as quickly as possible.” She turned to look at Darling. “First up: how exactly did you break Apple’s curse?”

  
Breathe, Darling. Just give them the facts. “I heard Apple choking on the piece of, well, apple in her throat, so I freaked. I learned CPR from Damsel-in-Distressing class and I figured I might as well try it. Although mouth-to-mouth has recently been retired from the procedure, I reasoned that it didn’t hurt to try.”

  
“So you did kiss Apple!”

  
Darling’s grip tightened around the arms of her chair. “It wasn’t really a kiss. It was CPR.”

  
Blondie didn’t look convinced. “Apple, can you tell us your side of the ordeal?”

  
Apple’s face turned red. “I don’t remember much. I ate the apple, felt dizzy, and then everything went black. My throat did feel tight when I woke up, though. Everyone was staring at me, but that isn’t really unusual.”

  
“You don’t remember Darling’s kiss? Or ‘CPR’ as she calls it?”

  
Apple shook her head.

  
“Well, how do you feel knowing that it was Darling who woke you? I know we talked about you and Daring, but now that the truth has been revealed, that’s kind of old news. You realize this means that Darling is your Prince Charming, right?”

  
Darling’s blood ran cold. That reality nagged and tugged at the back of her mind all summer. She didn’t want to be Apple’s Prince—or Princess, she guessed—Charming. Apple was nice enough, and she definitely wasn’t hard to look at. But the two girls never really connected. Darling knew they weren’t meant to be together.

  
“We’ll have to wait and see” was all Apple said.

  
Frustrated that she wasn’t getting juicy relationship drama out of the two princesses, Blondie turned back to the camera. “There you have it, folks! Darling’s lips did in fact touch Apple’s. Whether or not it was True Love’s Kiss or ‘CPR’ is still up for debate. Don’t forget to take the poll later today so I can find out what you guys think. Bye for now!”

Apple and Darling left the studio as quickly as possible. The hallway had emptied out; there were only a few students milling about and accessing their lockers. Darling adjusted the straps on her backpack, not sure what to say. Should she say anything? She didn’t owe Apple a conversation.

  
“Darling?”

  
She looked up. Apple’s cheeks were rose red again. She scuffed the toe of one of her crimson pumps on the linoleum floor. “I just wanted to say thank you.”

  
Darling sighed. Apple was constantly thanking her for saving her life. “We’ve talked about this. I saw someone in trouble, so I jumped in.”

  
The future queen shook her blonde head. “No, not that. I meant for keeping things low during Blondie’s show instead of sparking rumors.”

  
“This affects me too, you know. I’m supposed to be a damsel in distress. As far as I know, Snow White isn’t supposed to be my story. Until we have confirmation, I refuse to pigeonhole myself. And besides, I don’t need all of Ever After speculating about my love life.”

  
Apple’s porcelain skin looked fragile in the noon sun. For the first time since they’d met, she looked frightened to the bone. Her whole world was going topsy-turvy. Maybe Darling should lay off her. She turned to go. Maybe Dexter was available to chat.

  
“Could you?”

  
Darling turned back to face her. “Could I what?”

  
“Love me? Or learn to, at least. If we find out that you are my Princess of Destiny, could you see yourself with me?”

  
Darling almost laughed out loud.

  
“Could you see yourself with me? You don’t even like girls!”

  
“Do you?”

  
Darling felt like throwing up. This was dangerous territory. She didn’t survive three years at Ever After just to be caught off guard by a careless sentence. “I asked you first.”

  
Apple’s brow furrowed. “No, I did.”

  
Darling paused. She was right. But she’d had enough of this conversation. Darling’s fortress was under attack, and if the outsiders wouldn’t retreat, she would have to.

  
“I’ve got to go,” Darling said, turning away for the third time. “Conversations like this don’t need to happen in the school hallway. I’m not interested in you, Apple White. I want to live my life the way I want. Destiny be damned.”

  
She sped off at a pace that rivaled Cerise Hood’s. She wanted to be free of the confining restraints of Ever After High. Tradition, tradition, tradition…curse tradition! 

  
Smack! Darling slammed into someone’s bony shoulder. After wobbling for a bit, she managed to stay on her feet, but the other girl wasn’t so lucky. She cleared her head and focused back on the world around her.

  
Curses. It was Holly O’Hair.

  
“Oh my Godmother, Holly! I’m so sorry! Are you all right?” Darling extended a hand and helped Holly get to her feet.

  
Holly looked flustered but unharmed. “Yes, yes, I’m fine. You must have been deep in thought.”

  
Darling nodded, feeling royally embarrassed. “I’ve got a lot on my mind.” Her eyes flitted to the notebook in Holly’s hand that miraculously survived the fall. She pointed to it. “Written any good stories lately?”

  
Holly tucked a strand of long hair behind her ear. Her face was still bright pink. “I’m working on something new.”

  
“What’s it about?”

  
She smiled mysteriously. “It’s a secret.”

  
Darling’s fingertips buzzed, but she ignored them. “Well, let me know if you need a beta reader. I love all kinds of literature.”

  
Holly nodded. “I’ll keep it in mind. Hey, was that you I heard on Blondie’s MirrorCast?”

  
Her worst fear had come true. The whole school had already seen the interview! Darling tried to play it cool. “She asked me to answer some questions on her show. I had no idea Apple was going to also be there.”

  
Her friend nodded knowingly. “Blondie can be tricky. But she means well. I think the whole school’s been dying to know what’s going on with your destiny.”  


  
“Apple’s destiny, you mean. I’m just a pawn in the grand scheme of things.”

  
Holly reached out and squeezed Darling’s shoulder. Her touch was warm and comforting. “That’s not true. You’ve got a whole life ahead of you that’s completely yours. Apple or no Apple. I believe you’re going to be the best White Knight that Wonderland has ever seen.” 

  
Darling appreciated Holly’s attemps at making her feel better. Rapunzel’s heir was always so nice to her. She wished she could get to know the cheerful redhead on a more personal level.

  
“And who knows? You may just end up saving some prince somewhere and having a totally amazing storybook romance.”

  
“Well, it wouldn’t be a prince,” Darling said without thinking.

  
Holly pulled her hand back in surprise. Darling ran through their conversation and realized what she just said. She clapped a hand over her mouth. Damnit! Play it off!

  
“I mean…” Darling tried to backpedal but her mind was blank. What was a good excuse?

  
Holly just stared at her.

  
And as Darling looked into her friend’s two-toned eyes, she felt a strong urge to lean forward and kiss her. She fought the powerful sensation with everything she had, but to no avail. Holly O’Hair was a beautiful character, the loveliest person Darling had ever met. All she wanted was to be with her, entwine her fingers in her sunkissed hair and kiss her with all the passion she could muster.

  
She was completely enamored by Holly. And she just outed herself to her crush by accident.

  
“Please don’t tell anyone,” Darling said after a few moments. “I can’t let anyone find out about…that.”

  
“Of course,” Holly said breathlessly. She held up her right pinky. “You have my word.”

  
The period-changing bell echoed through the hallway. Almost instantly, students erupted from the classrooms and moved toward the Castleteria. Darling didn’t feel particularly hungry.

  
Holly waved goodbye and joined the crush of students, leaving Darling all by herself in the crowded hallway.

  
Dexter was supposed to be the only person who knew Darling’s secret. Now the girl she liked was privy to that information. Who next? Daring? Rosabella? Headmaster Grimm? Her parents?

  
What a big mess this all was!


	5. Chapter 3 - Chase Redford

“This is a very special year,” Headmaster Milton Grimm droned on from the podium during his annual welcome speech. “So many young adults from famous fairytales will be graduating this year. Stories like Snow White and Cinderella will continue to be told, and newer tales, like those from Wonderland, will begin their second cycle. In addition to that, a number of children from Neverland are currently in their Legacy Year. Their stories will see a long-awaited reboot that will surely be remembered for years to come.”

  
Whoops and hollers erupted from the ground section of the arena, pulling Chase Redford out of his daydream. The mix of a full belly from lunch and the blistering sun beating down on him was enough to almost put him to sleep. He rubbed his face and started paying attention again. 

  
Everyone was required to attend the Ever After High Welcome Address. Giles Grimm, the Co-Headmaster, opened it up with a short speech before relinquishing the podium to his brother, who was in the process of trying bore everyone to death. After the heads of the school spoke, each of the teachers would address the students for up to five minutes before the cheerhexing team led the entire school in a pep rally.

  
Just like last year, Chase was in the Wonderland section of the upper crowd. The Wonderland kids weren’t required to sit together, but as visitors in a strange land they tended to gravitate toward each other. Their section had slightly expanded this year to include Ramona Badwolf, Kitty’s girlfriend, and Daring Charming, Lizzie’s boyfriend. Chase had to admit that it was strange to see the handsome, staunchly Royal prince palling around with him and his Wonderland friends. But if it meant stigmas against story-mixing were lessened, Chase was all for it.

  
Right now Courtly Jester was openly snoring on his left, her long blonde, lavender, and blue hair strategically covering her right eye. To her left, Kitty Cheshire was also catnapping. The tricky girl faded in and out of view on Ramona’s lap. To Chase’s right, Lizzie and Daring were watching something on his MirrorPhone. Chase knew that behind them, Alistair Wonderland and Bunny Blanc were making out and trying in vain to hide it.

  
Ever After was no Wonderland. And yet, Chase treasured it for that fact. When he thought of his home, he was plagued with memories of his mother’s screeching voice and the hot confines of his armor.

  
Thunderous applause from the crowd jolted Courtly awake. She rubbed her eyes, somehow managing not to smudge the painted-on diamond or move the swoop of hair away. “Is that old fart done yapping?”

  
Chase stretched, trying to relieve his tight muscles. “I don’t think so. He hasn’t talked about Legacy Day or Thronecoming yet.”

  
“Let me know when he does,” she said, closing her eyes again. “I want to know what’s in store for those poor Neverland kids.”

  
Headmaster Grimm began to elaborate on a list of rules that were amended from the previous year. Chase instantly tuned out. He gazed at different people in the crowd, trying to find a friendly face. Madeline Hatter was, of course, sitting with Raven Queen and drinking tea. She was a dear friend from Wonderland and firmly a member of the Crew, but she never sat with them during assemblies. Raven was surrounded by a coalition of Rebels: Cedar Wood, Cerise Hood, Poppy O’Hair, Darling Charming, Rosabella and Briar Beauty, Hunter Huntsman, Ashlynn Ella, and Dexter Charming, who was an honorary Rebel. On the other side of the aisle, Apple was perched primly on her seat with C.A. Cupid, Blondie Lockes, Holly O’Hair, and Duchess Swan. The Royal numbers were waning, though no one was ready to admit it. Students were intermingling and falling in love with people not in their stories.

  
Chase thought about his own story. His lack of story was more like it, as he wasn’t promised a destiny at all. He certainly wasn’t going to become another one of his mother’s chess pieces. Even she couldn’t relegate her adopted son to that fate. This meant that he was free as a songbird…except, not really. He wanted to settle down with the right person, preferably a girl. But all the girls at Ever After High were either too Royal to consider breaking tradition or convinced that he was nothing more than a player.

  
It was unfair, really. Chase did have quite the list of exes compared to others, and sure, some of them hated his guts. But it wasn’t his fault—not really. How was he supposed to know that Crystal Winter was super touchy about literally everything? He got out of that relationship and breathed a sigh of relief. And was it really that bad that he got too weirded out by dating a girl who grew a tail at the slightest touch of water? It was Meeshell Mermaid’s problem that she took offense to that.  
And besides, not all of his exes hated him. Alistair, his first significant other and only boyfriend to date, was still one of his closest friends. Farrah Goodfairy didn’t have a negative bone in her body. And he and Melody Piper mutually parted ways when they realized they weren’t right for each other. 

  
“…and now we turn to the subject of Legacy Day. This year there are sixty-one students in the second-year class. All of them will be pledging their destinies in front of the entire fairytale world. But that’s not all! There are thirty-four students in the fourth-year class who have yet to sign the Storybook of Legends. They will also be signing this year. No exceptions.”

  
Chase raised an eyebrow. This was new.

  
“If held on the same day, the Legacy Day celebration would last for hours. Therefore, this is what I propose: we will have a smaller pre-Legacy day celebration two weeks from today. All final-year students who have not yet signed the Book will do so on that day. The second-year students will have their own celebration in four weeks as previously planned. This will alleviate stress on the school and allow for easier planning.”

  
Courtly yawned. “Did he say ‘two weeks’?”

  
“Afraid so.” Chase peered back down at the students on the ground. The Rebels obviously looked displeased, but none of them spoke out against the Headmaster. Even Raven, their undisputed leader, kept quiet. A few Royals hugged and high-fived each other, but most of them looked almost as uneasy as the Rebels.  
Courtly kicked her knee-high heeled boots up onto the protective railing in front of them. “That’s a shame. I wasn’t particularly put off by the idea of not signing, to be honest. I quite like being a wild card.”

  
On Chase’s other side, Daring and Lizzie had stopped looking at Daring’s phone and were now huddled tight together. Chase tried to block their conversation out, but he couldn’t help but eavesdrop.

  
_“I don’t want to sign!”_ Lizzie’s voice wobbled. _“Not if it means losing you.”_

  
_“Me neither. I can’t pledge myself to Rosabella. I just can’t. This isn’t fair.”_

  
_“Is there a way to get out of this? Can we reason with him?”_ Lizzie began to sniffle. _“Maybe—maybe I could get my mother involved? She’s very convincing when she has to be.”_

  
_“He said ‘no exceptions’. I don’t think he’ll budge.”_ Daring sighed. _“I wish the Storybook of Legends stayed in Wonderland.”_

  
“Wonderland to Chase!” A blue-gloved hand waved wildly in his face. Maddie Hatter was inexplicably sitting precariously on the railing. He didn’t question how she got there. Maddie made her own magic. “Oh, phew. I was worried you were lost in your own mind. It happens to me sometimes.”

  
Chase smiled wanly at the energetic Hatter. “I’m just worried.”

  
“Me too. I signed already, but toodles and oodles of my Ever After friends haven’t.” She pouted. “I don’t want them to have to live out destinies they they don’t choose.”

  
“Is there a way to fix this?” Alistair asked from behind Chase’s head. He and Bunny must have finally come up for air. “Can the Rebels do something?”

  
Earl Grey, Maddie’s dormouse, scampered out of her hat and perched on her shoulder. Maddie laughed and patted its head. Her Wonderlands friends stared at her earnestly, waiting for good news from the Rebel camp.

  
“Thank you for notifying me, Narrator!” Maddie said, staring at the sky. “I was distracted by Earl Grey’s clever cuteness.” She took in the worried expressions of her friends and laughed. “You don’t actually think the Rebels are going to sign, do you? Raven’s fought gum and hammer to choose her destiny. She’s not going to stop now.”

  
Maddie’s expressions sometimes fazed Chase. “Gum and hammer?”

  
“It’s the opposite of tooth and nail,” she explained.

  
Made sense to him.

  
“What is going on?” Kitty meowed, rousing slowly from her nap. Ramona, who was also sleeping, was jolted away by Kitty’s movements.

  
Chase filled her in on Headmaster Grimm’s announcement. 

  
“Wow, that sucks,” she said, before drifting off back to sleep.

  
Chase’s MirrorPhone beeped. Then Maddie’s. One by one, all their phones chirped, each alerting their owner of a new hext message.

  
“Emergency Rebel meeting,” Maddie read Raven’s message aloud. “Tonight at nine in the Vault. Keep it on the down low.”

  
It seemed that the Rebels were not going down without a fight.

****

The day concluded without much fanfare—unless you considered the cheerhexing pep rally fanfare, of course, which Chase didn’t—and night soon fell. Chase dressed for bed so as not to alert Gus Crumb, his roommate, that something was wrong. He couldn’t blame the kid for following his story, but damn he was nosy! Luckily for him, Gus was an early-to-bed and early-to-rise type. By nine o’clock the son of Gretel was sound asleep in his bed.

  
Chase crept around the strewn pieces of armor in his room, trying his hardest not to wake Gus up. He entered the hallway and joined a few unfamiliar students traveling down the hall. They identified themselves as Rebels. Chase was horrible with names and quickly forgot theirs. Together, the group quietly made their way to the Vault without attracting the attention of Poppa Bear or any of the other teachers. It seemed like dozens of students got Raven’s message and were now pouring into the vault. Chase chuckled to himself. A day ago, he and other seniors were partying harder than ever before, downing drinks and dancing to Melody’s spectacular mixes. Now they were huddled together quietly like prisoners planning an escape.

  
At the head of the room, Raven sat on a desk stacked high with papers. Cerise Hood and Hunter Huntsman flanked her and wore hard expressions on their faces. Chase admired their resilience.

  
“Can everyone hear me?” Raven said loudly.

  
“Yes!” Chase cringed at the crowd’s combined yell. This was the opposite of a discrete meeting.

  
“Good. We have to keep our voices down or Grimm will bust us.” Raven smiled ruefully. “I think we can all agree that we’re in a sucky situation. None of us were asked whether we wanted to go through with this. After all we’ve been through, after all we’ve done to save our beloved school, this is what Ever After High has to show for it. My friends and I were convinced that the Headmasters finally got the message, and I know most of you were, too. But it looks like we’re back to square one.”

  
“What are we going to do?” Lilly-Bo Peep inquired from her place by the door.

  
Next to Raven, Hunter adjusted his camo hoodie. “We’re staging a protest—a big one. But all of us have to be in on it. We need to crowd the halls, create chants, and let everyone in Ever After know that we’re not willingly signing the Book. What does everyone think about that?”

  
The rest of the students murmured amongst each other. Chase had seen his fair share of protests in Wonderland, most of them having to do with the restrictions in place due to the curse. The most successful ones always disrupted the Wonderland way of life, a feat that was hard to accomplish. Hunter’s idea could work, but like he said: everyone had to be in on it.

  
“I think that’s a marvelous idea,” Lizzie said. Next to her, Daring nodded. He was oddly quiet these days.

  
“Won’t we get in trouble?” Ginger Breadhouse asked, nervously pulling on one of her curled ponytails.

  
Raven smirked. “That’s what I’m counting on.”

  
Chase was still getting over his programming to always follow the rules. As the Red Knight, he was usually the enforcer of rules back in the Alekhine Province of Wonderland. Breaking rules wasn’t his forte. But it was high time that he lived for himself instead of simply going along with other people’s agendas.

  
He watched the other Rebels from an outsider’s point of view. This cast of characters had been together since their first year. He was a newcomer and wasn’t privy to all their quirks or shared experiences. A knot formed in his heart. He envied them. One day, hopefully, he’d get to that point with his Wonderland friends.

  
“What’s going on here?”

  
Chase’s head snapped toward the Vault’s entrance. Giles Grimm was here!

  
A few of the Rebels gasped and tried in vain to hide. Chase’s heart rate soared. Would their rebellion be stamped out before it even started?

  
“Headmaster Grimm!” Raven said, her face quickly flushing red. “We…um…”

  
The old man took in the sight of the fourth-years all huddled together. He quickly rubbed at his glasses before making his way to the huge bookshelf to Raven’s left. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath.

  
“Planning a rebellion, are we?”

  
“No, sir!” Hunter said, quickly correcting his posture. “We were just—”

  
“I may be old, Hunter, but I’ve still got my wits about me. None of you want to sign the Storybook of Legends. I understand that.” The younger Grimm brother paused for a second before curling his lips up in in a smile. “I was your age once upon a time, believe it or not.”

  
Next to Chase, Briar Beauty stomped her foot. “Headmaster, you can’t make us sign. We refuse!” Her eyes filled with tears. “I won’t willingly sleep for one hundred years!”

  
He held up a weathered hand. “I know, and it would be wrong for me to ask you to do so.”

  
“So you agree with us?” Cerise asked, cautious hope coloring her words. “You’ll cancel the Legacy Day celebration?”

  
Giles Grimm sighed. “Unfortunately, that’s not my call to make. My brother and the White Queen are in charge of all Legacy Day preparations.”

  
“But you can talk to him about it, right?” Chase found himself saying. Everyone turned to look at him, and he turned red. Though he wasn’t shy in the slightest, he didn’t want to seem like he, a newer student, was speaking for the seasoned students. He decided to continue. It was too late to turn back. “You can convince him to cancel. He’ll listen to you, I’m sure of it.”

  
Grimm had an amused expression on his face. “Chase Redford. Son of the Red Queen. Unlike the others, your destiny is yet to be revealed. Why do you hesitate to sign? I would think that the Red Knight would be an ardent supporter of following the rules.”

  
Chase swallowed. Why was he a Rebel? What was a Rebel, anyway? He never truly understood the division at Ever After High. Was it based on if you were following your story or not? If so, someone like Maddie Hatter would be a Royal. Was it based on where your sympathies lay? If that was the case, then what was the big deal about labels?

  
He bit his lip, knowing that the Co-Headmaster was waiting for an answer. In the corner of the room, Lizzie and Daring caught his eye. Like most of the students in the room, they were watching him curiously. They unconsciously curved in towards each other, almost like their bodies couldn’t stand being separated. Going through with Legacy Day meant they would be forced to break up. Daring would be forced to be with Rosabella Beauty. Lizzie would be miserable retraining herself to be a callous, histrionic Queen of Hearts.

  
It hit him. That was why he was a Rebel.

  
“I may not have a story yet, but I can’t stand by and watch my friends take on destinies they want,” Chase finally said. He met Grimm’s eyes. “Signing the Book is a rule that needs to be changed.”

  
Grimm nodded knowingly. “I thought as much. I’ll see what I can do. I make no promises; my brother could very well decide to ignore my suggestion. But I’ll talk to him.”

  
Briar squeezed Chase’s forearm, a huge grin on her face. Around him, the other Rebels cheered and hugged each other. Finally they had a bit of hope.

  
Grimm waited for the celebrations to calm down. “You all have a part to play, too. You need to make your voices heard. Let all of Ever After know what’s going on. Use every medium and channel you can to get the word out. Convince your other friends to join you. Yours is an unpopular opinion, but you can make it popular.”  
Raven nodded. “We’re staging a protest on Friday. We’ll have signs and sit in the halls. It’s going to be big.”

  
“It’s going to have to be. This has never happened before in the history of the fairytale world. You’ve got a long battle ahead.”

  
Chase was a knight. A soldier. He knew a thing or two about long battles. They were tiring, dangerous, and oftentimes you didn’t win. And yet, from the determined expressions his peers wore, Chase had a good feeling they’d stop this tragedy from happening.


	6. Why haven't I updated?

Hi guys! I know some of you have subscribed and intend on reading this work through completion, so I just wanted to give an update since I haven't posted in a few weeks.

I am still working on this story! I'm a first year in college and I'm dead in the middle of finals, so I've been extremely busy for the past couple of weeks. But I'll be done with the semester in a few days. I fully intend on getting the next chapter up by next week. Then I'll delete this update. I can't promise a consistent schedule, but I pledge to update in a timely manner. I'm excited to see where this story goes!

Next chapter will be in Duchess Swan's POV. It's very cool to write from her perspective and think about why she does what she does. And since my story explores the whole legacy issue in the Ever After High world, I have the opportunity to write about how the realization that she won't get a happily ever after like her friends changes her. After Duchess will be Cedar, who you've already heard from in the prologue. I chose the five POV characters because they all had destinies that were up in the air. And don't get me wrong, I love Raven and Apple, but their stories have been hashed out in the series and in other fanfics. Briar, Darling, Chase, Duchess, and Cedar are all characters who aren't heard from as much as I'd hoped.

I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far! It's going to get pretty crazy soon. I'd love it if everyone who reads left feedback in the comments so I can improve. I appreciate any and all criticism.

See you in a few days!


	7. Chapter 4 - Duchess Swan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time, no see! It's been a wild four months for most of us, I'd wager. I'm back at school, but I'm also back to writing this story! Sorry for the long wait :( I hope you enjoy this one!
> 
> P.S. I have a tumblr going for this story! I reblog and like lots of EAH stuff, so if you're interested in that, check it out here: https://theendofeverafter.tumblr.com/

It was so unlike Duchess Swan to do anything outside the confines of her story that her secret hook-up shocked her most of all. If she ever admitted she’d caught feelings for a rebel, her reputation would be toast. Never mind the fact that it was Sparrow Hood, one of the most topsy-turvy students at Ever After High, who was the subject of her affection. The son of Robin Hood had stolen her heart just a few months prior, and the two of them were all too happy to keep their—whatever after it was—a secret.

  
And they weren’t dating. Duchess was adamant about that fact. They couldn’t be in a relationship or anything at Ever After High. They were just two friends…two friends who sat way too close together at the library, made out like bandits, and, if they were really in the mood, fooled around in each other’s dorm rooms. Luckily for them, the pair hadn’t been caught yet. But these last few weeks saw them cutting it very close, and Duchess knew it.

  
Like now, for instance. Lizzie Hearts, her roommate, was supposed to be at varsity croquet practice. The second she left the room, Duchess hurried Sparrow out from deep within her closet. She figured she had about an hour and a half before the Future Queen of Hearts™ returned.

  
“I’m thinking of getting my tongue pierced,” Sparrow said in-between kisses. “Think it’s a bad idea?”

  
“What do _you_ think?” Duchess raised a perfectly-manicured eyebrow. Her traditional outlook on life was a point of contention between the two.

  
“Well, you’d probably hate it. But I think I’d look hot with one, don’t you?”

  
Duchess pressed her lips together. Much as she hated to admit it, a tongue piercing would look sexy on Sparrow.

  
“Aha!” His grin was smug. “I knew it. And besides, you’d benefit from it, too.”

  
“How exactly would _I_ benefit from _your_ piercing?”

  
Sparrow’s hand slipped down her back and bunched up her pale lavender miniskirt. “Well...they say it's pretty popular with the ladies, if you catch my drift."

  
Duchess's face colored quickly. She was often slow to catch innuendos, and this time was no different. She was doing her best to catch up using her new favorite romantic comedies and lady literature as references, but Sparrow's double meaning escaped her. All she could do was give him a confused look and hope he'd help her out.

  
This time, Sparrow was pleasantly observant. "I mean in terms of experimenting."

  
Ah. _Experimenting_.

  
The word used to describe every action beyond the traditional, magical first kiss.

  
"I—I don't think I'm there yet, Spar. I'm still getting used to all this."

  
"Of course, of course. No rush." Sparrow tugged her back down for another kiss, but Duchess hesitated. Even in private, their relationship still worried her at times.

  
"Everything good?"

  
She twisted the rings on her right finger. "I'm not sure I'll ever be down to do all that. This was supposed to be mostly casual. We still don't know what our futures will look like."

  
"Yeah, but we don't need to worry about that now. As long as we don't sign the book, we're golden as geese." Sparrow propped himself up among Duchess's pillows. "You're not planning on signing, are you?"

  
She didn't respond.

  
The disappointment in his eyes made her swallow hard. They had an unspoken agreement to never talk about destinies and the Storybook of Legends, and here they were, breaking it.

  
"Sparrow..."

  
He reached out and gave her hand a small squeeze. "It's okay. I know you're conflicted. I just want you to know that I'm here for you no matter what you choose."

  
She gazed into his green eyes and felt her heart rustle like feathers in a breeze. She never dreamed that she'd find Sparrow handsome, and yet it hit her fiercely one day during their Legacy Year. His arrogance had morphed into charismatic confidence nearly overnight, giving him a demeanor that Duchess found incredibly attractive. Even his shaggy ginger hair, signature goatee, and rock band attire enticed her. He was intoxicating, like a concoction at one of Briar's parties, and Duchess couldn't help but drink him in every time. So why couldn't she commit? Why couldn't she take the plunge and be the Maid Marian to his Robin Hood?

  
Frustrated by her overactive mind, she sought out the only thing that could reset her thoughts—Sparrow’s lips. This time she was assertive; Sparrow made a surprised noise as Duchess took control of the situation. They twisted and wound together until they were tangled up into her sheets.

  
_Click!_

  
Lizzie was back.

  
The pair ripped apart and managed to busy themselves in record time. Lizzie swept into the room with Daring at her heels, a common sight months into their relationship. Their laughter died in their throats as they spotted Duchess and Sparrow.

  
"Oh, hey guys," Duchess said calmly, unnecessarily breaking in a new pair of pointe shoes. "Sparrow just dropped by. How was practice?”

  
“Lizzie was amazing, as usual,” said Daring, gazing at his petite girlfriend like she was the only person in the room. She flushed prettily as she set her hair free from its tight ponytail.

  
Sparrow plucked mindlessly at his ever-present guitar. “When’s your next meet?”

  
“Thursday at four,” Lizzie said. “We’re leaving for Wonderland High right after classes. It’ll be an overnight trip.”

  
Duchess could feel Sparrow’s eyes practically scorching the side of her face, but she paid him no mind. “I’m sure you’ll beat them easily.”

  
Lizzie laughed as she scooted behind her changing wall. “Wonderland High is undefeated this season. It’s the official sport of the queendom. We’re facing an uphill battle, I’m afraid. But I’m confident our girls will put on a good show!” She popped out of the changing area, having swapped her croquet uniform for a red and black day dress. She looped a hand through the crook of Daring’s waiting arm and waved. “We’re off to Hocus Latte. You’re welcome to join, if you’d like.” She peered down at Sparrow. “You too.”

  
Duchess shook her head. “I’m good. I’ve got to work on my technique soon. You can go if you’d like, Sparrow.”

  
“I’ll stay here with Duchess, if you don’t mind,” he said to Lizzie with a mischievous smile. “See if I can’t convert her to rock music.”

  
Duchess waited until a minute after Lizzie and Daring left before throwing down her slipper. “There is no way you’re spending the night Thursday.”

  
“Aw, Duch—”

  
“No cygnet-eyes! You can’t be here all the time. People will get suspicious!”

  
Sparrow pouted. “We can’t look a gift horse in the mouth. This is a prime opportunity!”

  
“To what?” She gave him a pointed look. “To ‘experiment’? Because I thought we just went over this.”

  
He blew out a sigh. “We don’t have to mess around. I’d like to spend more time with you, no strings attached.”

  
This gave Duchess pause. Their “relationship” was strictly supposed to be physical. No dates, no romantic gestures, and certainly no hanging out as if they were actually together.

  
“We’re not dating.”

  
“I know that.”

  
She chewed on her lip. The question she really wanted to ask burned in her throat.

  
“Would you want to?” she asked softly, not trusting her voice to crack. What a wuss she was—scared of her own feelings! “Date, I mean.”

  
Sparrow closed his eyes. “Duchess, that’s not fair.”

  
“What do you mean, _that’s not fair?_ It’s just a question.”

  
“You’ve made it clear that this is supposed to be a casual arrangement. So what does it matter how I feel?”

  
“I’d like to know.” It was the truth. “Your opinion means a lot to me.”

  
“But you’re just going to resent me for this.”

  
“I want to hear it anyway.”

  
Sparrow sat up on the ground and set his guitar aside. He pulled himself up onto her bed and faced her, pinning her with his intense gaze. “Duchess…” He gently thumbed her cheek. “You’ve always been special to me, even when we’ve fought. I don’t want to lose you now. I thought it was obvious from the start that I wanted us to be together, but I guess not.”

  
Her face burned. “And now?”

  
“I still want that. Desperately. I think you’re spell-tacular. You’re worth giving up my destiny. You’re worth infinite destinies.”

  
Tears welled in Duchess’s eyes. If only he remembered who she truly was! She was mean and vindictive and unempathetic. She used to narc for Headmaster Grimm on her fellow classmates. Her destiny was to become a swan forever. How could he want her through all that, still desire her with a burning passion?

  
Sparrow kissed her cheek where her first tear had fallen before guiding her chin up and fitting his lips to hers. It was such a tender, heartfelt kiss that Duchess could feel it in her bones. Her lithe fingers felt numb as they scrambled for purchase on Sparrow’s shirt.

  
“Oh. My. Crown.”

  
Duchess pulled away to lock eyes with Lizzie, who seemed to have dropped a deck of playing cards on the floor. Her blood went cold.

  
Sparrow, who seemed to be thinking clearer, let go of Duchess and said, “Lizzie! I—we can explain…”

  
With a wave of her hand, Lizzie summoned the dropped cards back into a neat stack in her palm. “No need. I had a big suspicion that this was going on. You’re not exactly subtle.”

  
Duchess glared at Sparrow.

  
“Nor are you, Duchess.”

  
“You can’t tell anybody, Lizzie!” Duchess said, tearing up. “No one can know about this. This could ruin us!”

  
Lizzie cocked her head. “Oh, really? Ashlynn and Hunter beg to differ. Daring and I chime in on that, as well as Kitty and Ramona and Chase and his string of girlfriends. No one cares about dating outside your story anymore.”

  
“She’s right,” Sparrow said with a worried expression on his face.

  
Duchess couldn’t say why she was freaking out. All she knew was it was happening. Her best-kept secret was now out in the open. Lizzie wasn’t one for gossip, but if she hung out with Maddie soon for more than a second, Maddie would know. And if Maddie knew, then Raven, Cedar, and Cerise knew. And if Cedar knew, that was a wrap.

  
But she said nothing. A princess was not supposed to shout and make a scene, even if all she wanted to do was cry and deck Lizzie.

  
“Also, have you noticed these?” Sparrow held up a deep violet swan feather. “There’s, like, a dozen on your bed.”

  
Duchess glanced down at her mattress. Nestled in the same covers that concealed Duchess and Sparrow minutes before were a handful of feathers.

  
“Please leave.” She blinked back more tears.

  
“What? Why? Duchess, we can work this out!”

  
“I just need some time to think, that’s all.” She pointed to the door. “I’ll talk to you later. I just need you to leave.”

  
Lizzie gave Sparrow a sympathetic smile as he packed up his guitar. He nearly made his way out before turning back and saying, “No matter what, I’m here for you. Remember that. You don’t need to shut me out.”

  
The two roommates stood in silence for a few moments.

  
“You didn’t tell him?”

  
“It’s on a need-to-know basis, and he didn’t need to know.”

  
“Really?” Lizzie set the cards down and leaned against her desk. “But boyfriends are supposed to support their—”

  
Duchess picked at one of the feathers. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

  
“Whatever-after you want to call it. All I know was that you were kissing romantically and he seems to really care about you.” Lizzie started for the door. “Maybe you should start letting him in.”

****

Duchess needed to clear her head after her conversations with Sparrow and Lizzie. She rushed out of Ever After High but found herself amidst a crush of students enjoying the afternoon sun. Her annoyance tripled. She needed to be alone!

  
There was only one place at the school where Duchess felt truly at home: the enchanted lake. Transforming into a swan, she flew as fast as she could away from the crowd. She never turned into a swan unless she really had to; her avian form was uncomfortable and she wanted to spend as much time as she could as a human before her story reached its terrible conclusion. 

  
The shimmering face of the lake came into view, and Duchess soared down from the sky. As soon as her webbed feet touched the ground, she transformed back. The beautiful hum of insect and fairy wings instantly lifted her spirits. This was her home away from home.

  
Dancing always made her feel better, so she stepped onto the still water and began a modified version of the final dance from the Firebird. 

  
_Arabesque_ —the rebel protest was tomorrow.

  
_Plié_ —Lizzie and Kitty were all going to show their support.

  
_Pirouette_ —Milton Grimm was surely going to dole out detentions and suspensions like Ginger Breadhouse gave out sweet treats.

  
_Demi plié_ —Raven and the rebels knew they had nothing to lose.

  
_Grand jeté_ —Duchess really, really wanted to join them.

  
With every passing moment, she grew more terrified of the prospect of turning into a swan forever. Duchess could hardly look at her poor mother without crying. Relegated to honking, swimming in lakes and rivers, never experiencing happiness again…and for what? She didn’t benefit from this sick idea of “destiny”.

  
“Fair maiden, I pray for your assistance!”

  
She didn’t even need to open her eyes to know Hopper Croakington II was bothering her. Other than Sparrow, he was the only person allowed to come to the lake. Hopper was an unlikely friend of Duchess’s, but right now she wanted to be alone.

  
“If it’s not urgent, go find someone else.”

  
“My deepest apologies for disturbing your enchanting performance. However, I require the kiss of a princess.”

  
Duchess finally turned to face him. There he was, sitting on the grass in his slimy, wart-covered frog form. Even as a frog he looked distressed. Taking pity on the prince, she crossed the lake and scooped him up. She remembered the last time he asked for help turning back and shuddered. Guess she’d be tasting frog for a day or two.

  
She pressed the faintest of kisses on his froggy head and stepped back as he morphed back into a human.

  
“Ran into Briar, huh?”

  
Hopper shook his head, sending his messy auburn locks flying. “That’s a thing of the past. I went to a debate camp over the summer. It took a while, but I’ve gotten pretty good at articulating myself. Now that I’m more confident, I’ve been transforming way less.”

  
“So you’ve spoken to her since we came back?” Duchess didn’t want him to know it, but she was secretly rooting for him to get with Briar.

  
He nodded, and a toothy grin blossomed on his face. “She seemed really surprised that I could talk to her without freaking out. I think I might actually have a chance this year.”

  
_Even Hopper was ready to break the rules,_ Duchess thought bitterly. She balled her hands into fists and said, “It’s your last chance. If you don’t make a move this year she’ll be gone forever. Destiny will take precedence.”

  
Hopper frowned. “I know, I know. And besides, with the whole Legacy Day uncertainty, who knows if I ever really did. Speaking of, are you going to the protest?”

  
“Absolutely not.” Duchess rolled her shoulders and closed her eyes. Such a petty protest wouldn’t change Grimm’s mind, and anyone who thought so was mad as a hatter. She flexed her muscles and returned to her routine. _Twirl and—_

  
“I’m surprised you’re not going, of all people.”

  
She faltered on the water but quickly corrected her misstep. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  
“I mean, Sparrow’s one of the main organizers.”

  
At that, Duchess tripped and fell into the water. She huffed in anger as the lake’s water soaked her to the bone, and Hopper’s awkward laughter only incensed her even more. She whipped her head up and glared at Hopper, successfully causing his guffaws to die in his throat. “I suggest you hop on out of here, Croakington, before I feed you to Cerise’s wolf.”

  
Hopper immediately poofed back into frog form and left the lake at top speed.

  
Sparrow hiding things from her? It wasn’t a rare occurrence. But this was a secret of the highest magnitude! Duchess picked shimmering shells out of her hair as she sat on the bank of the lake. He was serious about not signing. That much was clear. But when Grimm saw what was about to take place tomorrow…

  
_Join him,_ a voice inside Duchess whispered. She shushed it internally, but it was too late. The devious thought began to bloom in her mind. If they convinced Grimm to change his mind, she wouldn’t have to suffer her terrible fate. She could be a prima ballerina, just like she wanted.

  
She could be with Sparrow and live happily ever after.

  
Duchess stood up, shivering slightly from the cool lake water. She knew what she had to do.


	8. Chapter 5 - Cedar Wood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick note: Cedar's chapters are a bit shorter as she's a semi-main character.

“There!” With a flick of her hinged wrist, Cedar Wood put the finishing touches on her protest sign. It was kooky and colorful and a perfect representation of Cedar as a person. She giggled as she watched her roommate, Cerise Hood, struggle to draw a wolf on her own sign. “That looks like a blob!”

  
Unfazed by Cedar’s brutal honesty, Cerise dropped her own paintbrush in exhaustion. “This is the best I can do. There isn’t an artistic bone in my body.” She glanced at Cedar’s sign and gave an impressed whistle. “Wicked sign, Cedar! I like your slogan.”

  
“Raven helped me come up with it.” Cedar thumbed the edge of the cardboard sign, which read: _TRUTH: I can’t live a life of lies!_ It didn’t really apply to her, though, seeing as she couldn’t actually fib, but Raven assured her it was the general sentiment of the slogan that counted.

  
“Well, it’s still cool. Mine just says ‘Cancel Legacy Day’.”

  
The loud roar of a dragon made Cedar and Cerise jump. They were in the Wonderland Haberdashery and Tea Shoppe with the express permission of the Mad Hatter himself. They were part of the Book End protest that eventually would make its way back to the school. The shop was closed for the day, but outside, Cedar could see Ever After citizens look up to the sky. 

  
“I thought the Rebels were protesting today’s match?”

  
Cerise hurried to the window. When she saw what was happening, she laughed. “Come see!”

  
Cedar joined her and was pleasantly surprised by the sight of Holly O’Hair on dragonback above the main square. Holly was one of the school’s best dragon riders—second only to Apple White herself—but was also a royal. She was one of the last people Cedar expected to join the protest. Holly tied a sign to her dragon’s tale that read: _I am the author of my own destiny!_

  
A crowd began to form underneath Holly. Among them were Ginger Breadhouse, Melody Piper, and Ramona Badwolf. At the sight of her older sister, Cerise stepped away from the glass. “Let’s get this protest started.”

  
The two close friends scooped up their posters and left the shop. Cedar took great care to lock up with the strange key Maddie’s father gave her. Once she placed it in the nook of the crook of the door frame, she turned back to the developments in Book End’s Main Square. Melody had her DJ equipment all set up on a raised stage, which was a relief. Raven’s magical influence was plain to see; the purple-and-silver turntables floated in front of Melody at desk height. 

  
“Melly!” Cedar called out. The daughter of the Pied Piper was jamming out hard with her headphones. Cedar knew there was no way she could hear her. She pushed through the crowd, careful not to smudge her still-drying poster, and reached her friend’s station.

  
“Oh! Cedar, hey!” Melody finally noticed her after half a minute. “I’m all ready to go. Raven and Hunter already got things started at the school. Everything’s going according to plan.”

  
“Hex-cellent!” said Cedar. She flexed her stiff joints and fluffed her hair. “I’ve never led a protest before. I hope I can pull this off.”

  
Melody fiddled with her microphone. “You don’t have to do much. Just get people’s attention, be loud, and make the cause clear. We need all the support we can get.”

  
Cedar took the microphone and gave Melody her poster, imagining how nervous she’d be feeling if she was a real girl. _You can do this, Cedar. Just speak your truth._ “Hey, everybody!”

  
The Rebels instantly looked up at her, but the civilians were slower to take notice. Ginger gave Cedar a big thumbs up. Cedar pulled at her new lavender overalls, trying to recall public speaking tips from the Speech and Sorcery class she took in her first year. 

  
“My name is Cedar Wood and I’m a fourth-year student at Ever After High. I am the daughter of Pinocchio…and I’m a Rebel. Headmaster Milton Grimm is forcing all senior students who haven’t signed the Storybook of Legends to repeat Legacy Day. This is royally unfairest!”

  
Cedar was surprised by how loud the applause was. She opened her eyes to a crowd of about one hundred people standing beneath her, Rebels and Book Enders alike. They looked up at her with powerful expressions. Melody cleared her throat. It was time for her to continue.

  
“Not all of us get to be swept off our feet by handsome princes. Not all of us get to live lavishly in grand castles. Some of us are destined to live lives of misery. Some of us are destined to die prematurely and in horrible ways. To that we say NO!”

  
_“NO!”_ The crowd repeated after her.

  
“NO!”

  
_“NO!”_

  
“WE WON’T SIGN!”

  
_“WE WON’T SIGN!”_ shouted the Rebels while the civilians hooted and hollered.

  
“WAIT!” A shrill voice yelled from the middle of the crowd. An older woman pushed her way forward and gave Cedar a withering look. “Are you mad? If you don’t sign, even more terrible things will happen! Look what went wrong when that horrible Raven Queen refused to sign. The Evil Queen came back!” At the mention of Raven’s mother, a few members of the crowd cowered.

  
Cedar squeezed the microphone hard. 

  
“She’s right!” A man said from the other side of the crush. “The students have to sign!”

  
“No!” Cedar yelled, surprising herself by how loud her voice was. “We don’t know that signing the book keeps our world from falling apart. What about…” She thought hard. “What about the Evil Queen herself? She went off book even though she signed the Storybook of Legends. The book doesn’t guarantee anything!”

  
Ramona howled in agreement.

  
Someone tapped on her shoulder. “Let me try, Cedar,” Rosabella Beauty said. She was decked out in a _MY LIFE MY CHOICE_ t-shirt and different justice armbands running up and down both arms. She was a colorful disaster, the perfect protester. Cedar wordlessly handed her the mic.

  
“Listen up, people!” Rosabella yelled, making Cedar wince and step back. “It’s not selfish to not want to die. It’s not selfish to want to live your life your way. Our destinies MUST be ours to write!”

  
“But what about—”

  
“But nothing!” Even with her glasses obscuring part of her face, Rosabella looked dangerous. “We do not consent to Headmaster Grimm’s plans. Anyone who wants to sign the book is welcome to, by all means, but we believe in self-determination. And if you do too, follow us to Ever After High so we can show the people in charge how we really feel!”

  
The crowd had swelled to about two hundred. A megaphone was thrust into Cedar’s hands. She looked at it strangely, like at the ripe old age of seventeen, she still had no clue what it was. 

  
Cerise poked her in the side. “You did great! Remember the chants we practiced?”

  
Cedar nodded.

  
“Let ‘em loose. I’ll bring up the rear.”

  
Cedar stepped down from the platform and followed Rosabella, who was already whipping up the crowd into a frenzy by bellowing into her own megaphone. Up above, Holly was now joined by Ashlynn Ella and Melody’s dragon. Cedar bit her lip, despairing at the thought that she wasn’t a good protest leader. Maybe if she was a real girl…

  
A teen girl bumped into her as she moved with the crowd. Cedar shook her wooden head quickly. There was no time for moping. Rosabella yelled, _“Whose school?”_ so Cedar answered back.

  
“Our school!”


	9. Chapter 6 - Briar Beauty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of the Legacy Day protest!

_Briar stepped out of the mirror in a dazzling pale pink dress. The full skirt swished nicely as she walked, pulling up just enough to show off her lovely black stilettos. Melody was off to the side pumping out a strangely serene tune. Up ahead, faceless people swayed back and forth on the ballroom floor. Briar smiled. This wasn’t her type of party, but she could never say no to a dance. Devoid of a partner, she picked up her skirts and spun around. The faceless people somehow avoided bumping into her even though they had no eyes._

  
_“Briar?”_

  
_She spun around. There was Hopper Croakington II in a fableous tuxedo. He’d come back from summer break chiseled and strong, much different from the lanky, awkward kid he’d been the last three years of school. That warm, buttery feeling that Briar tried so hard to suppress returned._

  
_“You clean up nice,” Briar managed to say._

  
_Hopper stepped closer, making Briar’s heart flutter. “You look…you…” He was lost for words, but for some reason, he didn’t poof back into a frog. Instead he reached out and grabbed her shoulders. “BRIAR! BRIAR!”_

  
Briar shot up from her place in the doorway. Jillian Beanstalk crouched over her, looking worried. Behind her was Lilly-Bo Peep. Surprisingly, her sheep were nowhere in sight.

  
“Curses!” Briar swore, brushing herself up as she stood. “What time is it?”

  
“Eleven fifty-five in the morning,” Lilly-Bo supplied cheerfully.

  
“We were on our way to the protest when we saw you,” said Jillian.

  
Briar grabbed her phone and groaned at the sight of five missed calls, all from Raven. The protest was supposed to start at ten. She was halfway out the door when a wave of sleep washed over her for the third time today. Her enchanted narcolepsy was totally getting out of control.

  
“Need any help?” Jillian asked, eyeing the tall stack of flyers next to Briar.

  
“No, I’ve got it. Thanks for waking me up. I owe you one.”

  
Lilly-Bo smiled and took Jillian’s hand. “It’s no big deal. This protest means so much to us. We’re so happy you and the others were able to pull it off.”

  
Briar stood in shock for a few moments before her memories came back to her. Lilly and Jillian were a thing. Right. She vaguely recalled seeing them curled around each other at the multihex theatre. She gave them a smile and watched them leave for the Main Hall. With any luck, their success would allow them to be together forever after.

  
After securing her belongings and locking her room, Briar made her way out of the girls’ dorm and into the main building. As she passed by the classrooms, she couldn’t help but notice they were all empty. That was a great sign. The protest must have been in full swing.

  
The doors to the Main Hall swung open and produced a worried-looking Lizzie Hearts. When she spotted Briar, she sighed in relief.

  
“Lizzie? What’s the matter?”

  
Briar could hear faint screaming coming from the other side of the doors.

  
“There’s a humongous fight taking place in the Hall! The Royals started it. Now the whole protest’s a mess and—” Her lip quivered. “Farrah can’t stall him any longer! He’s going to be here in a manner of minutes!”

  
Rats. She knew things were too perfect to be true. “Let’s go! We’ve got to look serious or he won’t take us seriously!”

  
The two princesses entered the Hall. Briar’s heart dropped. The fight taking place resembled the post-Legacy Day food fight two years ago, sans food. Hair was pulled, crowns were flying, and punches were thrown. Briar immediately spotted Hopper, who was trying to pull Daring away from a particularly muscular Royal.

  
“Boys!” Briar raced over. At the sound of the princess, all three froze and turned to look at her. She put on her toughest expression and said, “Enough! Separate!”

  
They did as they were told.

  
“Now, what’s going on here?”

  
“He started it!” Daring and the Royal said at the same time, pointing to each other. Hopper jumped away from them, looking sheepish.

  
“This is a protest, not a brawl. I don’t care who started what. You,” Briar pointed to the Royal. “Get out of here if you’re not supporting us.”

  
“But I want to sign!”

  
Briar’s stink eye sent him running.

  
She turned to Daring, who was conspicuously trying to fix his hair. “Nice going, Daring! This is just what we needed, a fight to show Grimm we’re united against oppression.”

  
Daring glanced at her quickly before looking at his girlfriend, who was close to tears. “I—But he was—”

  
“This is serious!” Lizzie sniffled. “If we don’t convince him to cancel Legacy Day, we won’t be able to be together! Don’t you care?” She stormed off.

  
“Lizzie, wait! I’m sorry!” Daring raced after her.

  
Briar watched them leave the Hall before giving Hopper a small smile. “Love, huh?”

  
He blushed. “It makes people do crazy things. Daring’s just lucky Lizzie didn’t see him before you came. The meltdown would have been insane.”

  
She rolled her shoulders. There were more important things to think about…like the fact that Raven was calling her. “One sec,” Briar said to Hopper before leaving to meet her friend.

  
“Raven, what’s all this about?”

  
The head Rebel looked pale and beyond anxious, like all the confidence she’d gained as a leader at their school had left her body. “It just got out of hand. The Royals showed up and started arguing with us. Then…” She gestured to the shenanigans occurring.

  
“Can’t you just use magic to stop them?”

  
Raven gave her a look. While it was true that the daughter of the Evil Queen was trying to cut down on her power usage, this had to be an exception. Their plans were crumbling around their ears! Briar placed a hand on Raven’s shoulder. “Lizzie says Grimm’s gonna be here any moment. We need some order now.”

  
“But—” Briar nodded encouragingly. Raven sighed. “Okay, fine. Stand back.”

  
Briar complied but was still knocked off her feet by the energy blast Raven sent out.

  
“This is a peaceful protest, remember? If you’re not here to advance our cause, you need to give us space. We’re not infringing on your rights. We just don’t want to sign the book.”

  
Reluctantly, the Royals disentangled themselves from the Rebels and slowly left the Hall. The Rebels dusted themselves off and resumed their places along the walls. As faculty, staff, and other students passed by, the Rebels chanted slogans at them and held up signs. Blondie Lockes was in the thick of it, capturing footage and interviewing protesters incessantly. Briar enlisted the help of Cupid and Hopper to put up anti-Legacy Day flyers up and down the Hall.

  
“What is the meaning of this?” Headmaster Grimm’s deep voice boomed. Briar instantly tensed. Farrah Goodfairy stood just behind him at the main entrance, sulking as she held her wand at her side.

  
The Rebels faltered in their chants and looked at one another. None of them were brave enough to stand up to the headmaster.

  
None, at least, except for Briar. She broke away from the wall and stood in the center of it all, staring him down. “We reject your request. We don’t want to sign the Storybook of Legends, and we ask that you respect our decision.”

  
Grimm’s face contorted with annoyance. “It isn’t up to you, Miss Beauty. You’re signing whether you like it or not.”

  
“You can’t make us!” Hunter got up and joined her.

  
Grimm laughed. “Trust me, there are ways. This is for your good and the good of the entire fairytale world.”

  
“We’ll rip our pages out!” yelled Raven as she balled up her fists.

  
“We’ll snap the quill!” added Sparrow.

  
“We’ll _burn_ the book!” said Darling.

  
“ENOUGH!” Headmaster Grimm shouted, silencing the uproar. “This is non-negotiable. All five of you have earned a nice stay in the detainment chamber!”

  
Briar’s heart skipped a beat. _The detainment chamber?_

  
Raven sputtered. “You can’t put us there! That’s for the baddest of the bad. All we’re doing is protesting!”

  
Grimm strode up to her and jabbed a finger in her face. “What you are doing is defying a direct order from the headmaster of this school. I have been granted special powers from the queen of Ever After to take all necessary actions to preserve the integrity of our existence.”

  
Raven smirked. “You’re not the only headmaster.” She craned her neck and waved. “Mr. Grimm! Thank the fairy godmother you’re here. We need your help.”

  
Headmaster Grimm spun around and gasped. Giles Grimm stood there with his arms folded, flanked by Maddie and Kitty. The future Cheshire Cat had a wicked grin on her face.

  
“Brother, I urge you to consider. These students have pitched a compelling case to me that I think is worth listening to.” He rubbed his forehead, looking bone tired. “You and I both know that destiny is a fickle thing. For years it was thought that our world was preserved by repeating stories. But that new Andersen paper that studied other realms has challenged that notion. I put it on your desk; did you read it?”

  
The older Grimm brother huffed. “I haven’t gotten to it yet. I’ve been hex-tremely busy with preparations—”

  
“I think you should postpone Legacy Day until you read it. Andersen has good reason to believe that stories can morph and take on new forms, regardless of whether or not students sign the Storybook of Legends. I believe him.”

  
Briar bit her lip. Giles Grimm’s new lifeline was enticing, but she wasn’t sure it was strong enough to put her hopes in. She reached out and squeezed Raven’s hand. Raven hesitated before squeezing back.

  
“We can discuss that later, brother. For now, I intend to restore order to this school.” He surveyed the cowering Rebel students, eyeing each one with what seemed to Briar like contempt. “This protest is over. All students are to return to their rooms immediately. I—” He paused. A loud banging noise seemed to be coming from the front doors.

  
Grimm stormed over to them. “Don’t tell me you Rebels have planned more disruptions.” He flung them open and was nearly bowled over by the screaming crowd on the front steps.

  
Leading the charge was her cousin, who was hollering herself hoarse into the megaphone. Briar spotted Cedar with another megaphone and Ramona Badwolf howling at the top of her lungs.

  
Rosabella located Briar and waved. Briar made a slicing motion at her neck and pointed to Headmaster Grimm, who looked like he was about to explode. The music and yelling died down slowly until one could hear a pea drop on the floor.

  
They were so dead.

  
“I assume this is the other half of your foolish protest?” Grimm said, sneering.

  
“Headmaster Grimm, we have one and only one—”

  
“Shh!” Briar said, wresting the megaphone from Rosabella’s grasp. “We’re in enough trouble already!”

  
Grimm pointed at the civilian portion of the crowd. “Leave our school at once. This protest is over.” The Book Enders were all too happy to scurry away.

  
“What happened?” Rosabella whispered to Briar.

  
They were humiliated. Bruised from the fight with the Royals. Treated like dogs by the school’s leadership. And now she and four other students were being sent to who knew where.

  
“We lost.”

****

The detainment chamber turned out to be just an extension of the detention room. It had padded, magic-proof walls, giving Briar a sneaking suspicion as to who this room was reserved for in the past. Book End police officers led the five students to the chamber and locked them in. There were no chairs, desks, or any other furnishings in the room. The only thing of note was the extra door that led to a small bathroom.

  
Briar slumped on the floor. What was to become of them? Would Grimm suspend them? _Hex-pel_ them? She’d be grounded for life if her parents found out.

  
The five students said nothing for the first couple of minutes. Hunter took out some whittling he kept in his pocket and continued his project. Sparrow, whose guitar had been taken upon detainment, covered his face with his hat and went to sleep. Raven curled in on herself, as if scrunching up would make her disappear. Darling simply sat and stared off into space.

  
Briar had successfully convinced Headmaster Grimm and the guards that she’d forgotten her MirrorPhone in her room. Fat lot of good that did her, though, because there was less than no service in the chamber. She tapped mindlessly at a game she’d reluctantly downloaded for her brothers. Her screen went dark. Curses, she hadn’t remembered to charge last night.

  
“Ugh, this is torture!” she groaned, flopping flat on the ground. Her hair and clothes were definitely dirty, but at this point, that was the least of her worries.

  
“Not going to get us out of here any faster,” said Hunter.

  
Briar pouted. Venting always made her feel better. She ignored Hunter and carried on. “Godmother, was that a shitty idea or what?”

  
Darling turned to face her. “It was for a good cause. We had to at least try. And who knows? Maybe Grimm will actually read that paper. Maybe it’ll change his mind.”

  
“Fat chance,” said Raven. She was still in a ball. “It’s Milton Grimm we’re talking about.”

  
“Can you guys keep it down?” Sparrow asked, his voice muffled. “Trying to sleep here.”

  
For once in her life, Briar wished another episode would strike so she could join Sparrow in sleeping their punishment off. But alas, she was wide awake.

  
Briar scooted over to where Raven was curled up. “I’m sorry, Raven,” she whispered. She stared at her heeled platform boots. The bright fuschia color made her eyes hurt. “We tried our best.”

  
Raven remained motionless but said, “I should have listened to my conscience. Grimm was never going to let us off the hook a second time. He cares about his reputation most of all. There’s no getting around that.”

  
Raven was right. Briar was silly to think their protest would stop the course of fate. She’d sign under duress, prick her finger, sleep for one hundred years, and end up with some stuffy dunce of a prince. All her friends would be dead. And for some reason, Hopper’s face popped into her mind. He’d be long gone by the time she woke up. That bothered her more than she’d like to admit.

  
Maybe being hex-pelled wasn’t such a bad idea.

  
“How’s that even going to work?” Sparrow piped up, apparently abandoning his quest for sleep. “You being Apple’s Prince Charming and all. Does that mean you have to kill Raven?”

  
Darling flushed bright red.

  
“What the fuck, Sparrow?” Briar snapped.

  
“It’s just a question. We’ve gotta stop ignoring the fact that stories have already changed. Daring’s supposed to be with Rosabella now.”

  
“The stories didn’t change,” said Hunter. His whittling project had produced a small, sleek whistle. “We just had the wrong impression of who was going to end up in which story.”

  
Sparrow lifted his hat, revealing his stormy expression. “Okay, so Darling ends up with Apple and has to give up being the White Knight, Raven dies brutally by Darling’s hand—”

  
“Oh my fairy godmother, Sparrow, do you ever shut up?” Briar said as Raven let out a weak sniffle. She was so tired of his callous behavior.

  
He continued on as if Briar hadn’t said a word. “—Hunter kills Ramona and ends up with Cerise, Briar sleeps so long all her friends and family die, and I steal some shit and marry a wet blanket. And we’re supposed to roll over and accept this.”

  
Nobody spoke. Briar let Sparrow’s words sink in. He was crude, yes, but he had a point. Grimm was asking way too much of them.

  
“It’s not up to us.” Hunter toyed with the whistle, looking conflicted. “As much as I’d like to defy Grimm, he’s probably going to cast a spell on us that makes us sign.”

  
Sparrow laughed dryly. “And now you’re assuming we’ll even make it to Legacy Day.”

  
“What do you mean?” inquired Darling.

  
Sparrow dusted off his hat and placed it back on his head. “I feel like something big is about to go down. Something’s going to tear this place apart.”

  
Briar rolled her eyes. She dealt in cold hard evidence, not wishes. “And you base this off of…what, exactly?”

  
Sparrow hesitated, as if what he was about to say was dangerous. After pursing his lips, he opened his mouth, but was cut off by the main door of the chamber swinging open.

  
Headmaster Grimm and the officers were back. His expression was hard, and Briar couldn’t tell if he was going to start yelling or not. She pushed her MirrorPhone deeper into her back pocket, hoping he wouldn’t notice it.

  
“You’re free to go.”


	10. Chapter 7 - Darling Charming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! Taking 19 credits is killing me right now. A few new surprises happen in this chapter!

“It’s not fair that you five have to sit in detention for two months,” Rosabella said as she and Darling left Multivariable Crownculus. Darling shoved her homework packet into her knapsack, too preoccupied with her thoughts to arrange her bag properly. It was the end of the next school day. Students milled throughout the hallways, still interacting with each other but generally being quieter than usual. It was like the entire building was holding its collective breath after yesterday’s protests. Darling didn’t like that. It put her on edge.

  
“We were all in on it. If anything, all of us should be given punishment. Darling? Are you listening?”

  
Darling snapped her head up, just in time to avoid slamming into Holly. She mumbled a quick apology before speeding up to keep up with her roommate. She had to stop doing that!

  
“Sorry, I was just thinking. You were saying?” Darling couldn’t remember for the life of her what Rosabella was talking about.

  
Rosabella sighed. “Never mind, it’s not really important.” She waved to Bunny Blanc, who was standing at her locker with Kitty Cheshire. Both girls turned away and began to whisper to each other. Rosabella’s hand dropped and thumped against her jeans.

  
“What was that about?” asked Darling. Usually Bunny was a genial character.

  
Rosabella didn’t respond.

  
By now they’d reached the detention room. Darling could see all four of her “partners-in-crime” were already inside and seated. But she couldn’t leave her friend alone, not when she was feeling sad.

  
“You can tell me anything. You know that, right?” Darling tried to sound cheerful.

  
Rosabella took off her glasses and began to clean them with her shirt, a clear giveaway that she was close to tears. “I thought they were over it, but I guess not. I just don’t get it. Daring clearly doesn’t want to be with me. I’m not trying to steal him away from Lizzie. Why can’t they accept that?”

  
It dawned on Darling that her roommate had been hiding some of her own relationship struggles. “They’re icing you out?”

  
“All of them. Lizzie’s friends _and_ Daring’s friends. Even Maddie avoids me these days. It’s terrible!”

  
Darling reached out and gave her friend a hug. It must have been so lonely being shut out by people who were supposed to be her friends. Darling wondered why she hadn’t noticed before. Everyone was nice to her, even the Royals. “Have you talked to Daring or Lizzie since you got back from the North Pole?”

  
Rosabella shook her head.

  
Darling pulled away as the detention bell rang. “You should do that. Reassure them that you’re not trying to come between them.”

  
“But I haven’t even done anything that would make them think so!”

  
She shrugged. “People can be fickle. Daring and Lizzie’s relationship is fragile. They’re fighting against a lot to be together. Our parents aren’t happy, Headmaster Grimm isn’t happy…a lot of people aren’t happy about it. Any bit of reassurance would help a lot.”

  
With that, Darling bid Rosabella farewell and stepped into the detention room. Briar, Raven, Sparrow, and Hunter all had bored expressions. Detention was being monitored that day by Professor Jack B. Nimble, whose long legs were propped up on his desk. He barely glanced up from his book at the sound of Darling’s entrance, except to say, “Welcome to detention. You’re to stay here for one and a half hours. No electronics of any kind.”

  
Of course, right then Darling’s MirrorPhone chirped. Professor Nimble raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Darling took the only available seat left, the one next to Briar. Perfect. She was on a mission to fix Rosabella’s problem. She took out her mini-journal, a plain quill, and a pot of ink, and got to work.

  
Darling identified three points of contact related to this issue: Briar, who was friends with some of Daring’s friends; Chase, who was friends with all of Lizzie’s Wonderlandian friends; and Daring himself. She figured that Rosabella would have to approach Lizzie herself; trying to advocate for her probably wouldn’t work. Lizzie had mellowed out over time, but she was still prone to outbursts that could rival that of her mother.

  
She ripped off a piece of paper and scrawled, _Are you aware of what’s going on with Rosabella, Lizzie, and Daring?_ She held it out to Briar, who snatched it instantly. Darling held back a laugh. The partying princess was definitely bored to death.

  
Her note came back in the shape of a mini paper airplane. _No, what happened?_

  
Darling explained what the situation was in her next message. As Briar read it, her eyes grew wide. 

  
_Briar: That’s terrible! Had no clue that was happening. I’ll talk to Daring’s friends about it. You wouldn’t happen to know if Hopper was one of them, would you?_

  
Darling snorted softly. Briar needed to come to terms with her feelings for Hopper. It was blatantly obvious to everyone but her.

  
_Darling: Bella didn’t say._

  
_Briar: Hopper’s nice, though. I’d be surprised if he did anything like that. Are you going to talk to Daring? Maybe Chase, too?_

  
_Darling: Already on it. Should have things fixed up in no time._

  
Briar smiled as she read Darling’s response.

  
_Briar: Just don’t let her know you’re doing it. She gets embarrassed by this kind of stuff. She prefers to handle things by herself._

  
Darling nodded in response, right before her MirrorPhone buzzed again. She was desperate to know who was hexting her. She slipped it out of her skirt pocket, ensured that Nimble was still engrossed in his book, and checked to see who was trying to contact her.

  
Holly O’Hair.

  
Darling’s breath caught in her throat. She unlocked her phone at warp speed and read what Holly had sent her.

  
_Sorry for almost bumping into you today!_

  
She let go of her breath. Nothing to get too excited about. She read the next message.

  
_Just wondering if you’d like to meet up and beta read some of my work tonight! No worries if you don’t want to._

  
A weird chirping noise escaped Darling’s lips. Briar turned to give her a confused look. Darling pocketed her phone and bit her lip. She couldn’t believe her luck. 

  
_Was Holly…?_

  
No, she couldn’t get her hopes up. She’d offered to help Holly out. Holly was just making good on the offer, that was all. Darling thought of her parents, who were bewildered by the idea of a princess being destined for another princess. They grilled Darling over the summer, sure that their daughter was one of those ‘strange’ girls who liked girls. Darling nearly broke under pressure. Thankfully, Dexter came to her rescue and cut the interrogation short. But her parents were still dead-set on fixing what they perceived as a mistake. Even if Holly liked princesses instead of princes and Darling somehow won her heart, there was no way they could be together. There was no way Darling could be with any girl, for that matter.

  
So why was she pulling out her MirrorPhone to agree to meet with Holly?

  
Against her better judgment, Darling typed back, _Sounds great! Girls’ dorm library at eight?_

  
“Miss Charming? What are you doing?”

  
Darling groaned internally. Professor Nimble had set his book down and was staring at her from the front of the room. She pulled her phone down as inconspicuously as possible. “Nothing.”

  
He beckoned for her to deposit her phone on his desk. Darling got up as slowly as possible, her face burning. She walked up to the front and complied with his silent command, cursing herself for not being more careful.

  
_“Breaking news from Ever After!”_ Blondie’s shrill voice said from the classroom’s medium-sized MirrorTV screen. Professor Nimble turned to watch the broadcast, as did the rest of the Rebels in detention.

  
Blondie stood inside Headmaster Grimm’s office with a creased forehead and a prominent frown. Everything was not just right if she allowed herself to appear on her MirrorCast looking like that. Briar gasped.

  
_“Headmaster Milton Grimm of Ever After High is about to make an important announcement regarding recent events at the famous preparatory school. Here he is now.”_

  
Headmaster Grimm had a melancholy façade on, but Darling could tell he was hiding something dangerous beneath it. It was Royal Demeanor 101. She smirked. He’d make a perfect haughty king.

  
_“Dear students of Ever After High and citizens of Book End, it is with great bittersweetness that I announce the retirement of my beloved brother, co-Headmaster Giles Grimm.”_

  
“What?” Darling, Raven, and Hunter said at the same time. Darling’s head raced. What was going on at their school?

  
_“He wished to make this announcement himself, but pressing issues in Neverland regarding its new cycle of the Peter Pan story required him to take his leave at once. He asked that I relay to you his regret that he had to depart this school. He loves this institution with all his heart, as well as all the students who attend it. Nevertheless, he is eager to begin a new chapter of his story as a mediator between and within story worlds and kingdoms. I’ve no doubt that you all will join me in mourning the departure of such a dedicated man. Thank you.”_

  
Professor Nimble rose to his feet and collected his book. The worry on his face filled Darling with dread. “Students, I must take my leave at once. There will be no replacement monitor, but you are to stay here until your detention period is over.” With that, he raced out of the room.

  
Darling put her MirrorPhone back in her pocket. At least she didn’t have to turn it in anymore. She turned to face the other Rebels, who seem to be as disturbed as she was.

  
“Grimm’s lying,” Sparrow declared, putting his own feet up on his desk.

  
Darling opened her mouth to counter him, but she couldn’t form an argument. Giles Grimm’s departure was too much of a coincidence to take the headmaster at his word.

  
“Ashlynn says everyone is freaking out right now,” said Hunter as he held up his phone. 

  
Raven stood up. “Yeah, no wonder. Everyone loved Giles.” Her face grew pale. “Oh, no. Maddie’s going to be inconsolable.” One by one, the other students stood up. 

  
“You think we’ll get in even more trouble if we dip?” Briar asked, firing off hext messages without looking at her screen.

  
“No one’s gonna know. Let’s just go.” Sparrow slung his guitar over his body and sprinted out of the room.

  
Darling returned to her seat and packed up her things. Briar seemed to be waiting for her, so she sped up. The two princesses walked out of the room together, glancing left and right to make sure they weren’t spotted by a teacher.

  
“Remember what I said about Rosabella,” Briar said. She waved to Crystal, who was waiting by a bank of lockers. “You don’t want to make her feel bad.”

  
Darling nodded. She was going to try to work as stealthily as possible. “Knight’s honor.”

  
After Briar left, Darling breathed a sigh of relief. She surveyed the hallway—mostly empty, as was common after classes had finished for the day—and spotted Poppy O’Hair leaving a ladies’ room. Her meeting with Holly sprang back into her mind. She had to get ready! This was her chance to become friends with the redheaded princess. If Darling couldn’t be with Holly, at least she’d get to know her better.

  
Whistling a merry tune, Darling waltzed back to the girls’ dorms.

****

Darling’s leg bounced up and down underneath the table in the library. She was hex-tremely early for her beta reading session with Holly. She decided to finish her homework in the library after dinner, but found it hard to concentrate as she worked through her balance sheets for AKM and derivatives for Crownculus. She tried to tell herself it was because she was more of a literature-oriented princess, but her jittery foot belied that. Thankfully, she was the only girl in the library that night. Everyone else seemed to be keeping to their rooms after the events that had thrown their school into a spin.

  
The door clicked open, and in walked Holly with stacks of paper. She was still dressed in her day clothes, a decision Darling wished she made. Her loose nightgown wasn’t flattering at all. Darling was surprised to see her super long hair reduced to shoulder length. _She still looks enchanting,_ she thought, then shook her head. This was a strictly friendly encounter.

  
“Thanks for your help,” Holly said, setting her belongings down on the table. Darling whistled at the seemingly endless amount of paper. Holly giggled. “It looks like a lot, but it really isn’t. Half of these are notes, and besides, my handwriting is big.”

  
“All the same, you’re very prolific.” Darling glanced down at the story Holly set in front of her. “Is this your current piece?”

  
Holly’s cheeks were rosy. “Um, not exactly. It’s something I wrote last year but stashed away. I’m not sure it’s much good. To be honest, I’m not even sure why I kept it.”

  
Darling began to read.

  
_Elisa danced and twirled and posed until her body ached. And when it cried out for mercy, she pressed on and on, refusing to stop until she perfected her routine. Her mother’s voice pierced her thoughts: “Cleaner turns, Elisa! Sharper points! Smoother leaps!” She lept into the air and returned to the ground. Her foot wobbled. Curses! Another mistake. She thrust herself in the air again. Rising, posing, falling…_

  
“Elisa!”

  
_Elisa’s head pounded. Her body felt funny. When she opened her eyes, she saw him looking at her with worry as pure as Snow White’s complexion._

  
_“You almost hit the ground. You’re done for the day.”_

  
_She twisted and turned in his grasp, fighting to return to the dance floor. But he held her tight, knowing that she was long overdue for help, good help._

  
_“Let me go! You can’t do this to me! I thought you cared about me!”_

  
_He carried her through the hallways to the infirmary, where a timid nurse regarded the odd pair with concern._

  
_“She’s working herself to death. She fainted mid-jump. This environment isn’t good for her.”_

  
_The nurse nodded and pointed to an open cot. Tears streamed down Elisa’s face as she realized what was happening. The institute would put her on leave. She’d be forced to go to therapy. The nutritional rehab would set her years back. She would never dance at the highest level again. Sobs began to wrack her body._

  
_He brushed her hair out of her face. Her bun must have come undone. She swatted away his hand, her tears now filled with rage. “I’m sorry, Elisa. I can’t watch you do this to yourself.”_

  
_He left her a mess, but came back the next day, and the day after that, and even when she was transferred to the hospital. She refused to look at him, taking small solace in how hurt he sounded when she ignored him. But slowly, she began to consider healing, and he was there for her when she realized how wrong she was. Their reunion was a happy one. Soon she was dismissed from the hospital and set on a different life path. She reached out a hand, and the two started their new journey…together._

  
Darling finished reading and gazed at Holly, lost for words. Holly’s writing touched her soul in a way Darling had never experienced. She drummed her fingers on the table, trying to piece together her thoughts.

  
Holly brushed strands of hair off of her face and gave Darling a puzzled smile. “Any critiques?”

  
Darling blinked. Was ‘it was perfect’ too obvious? “Wow, Holly…I’ve never, um, read anything like this. I really liked it.”

  
“Really?” Holly’s smile was dazzling. “I thought it was a bit too jumpy. And I probably should have given the guy a name, but I was focusing on the general feel of the story rather than the characters themselves.”

  
Darling clasped her hands, afraid she’d accidentally reach out to Holly if she wasn’t careful. “The unique cadence made it beautiful, in my opinion. There were a few standout lines that really conveyed the theme.”

  
Holly stood and moved to Darling’s side of the table. “Which ones?”

  
Darling’s breaths came quicker. _Play it cool, Charming._ She pointed at the paper and said, “When he catches her, that’s pretty powerful. Then he decides to take her to the nurse—that one’s good, too. And when he keeps coming back even though she doesn’t want him to…” Darling’s voice drifted off as Holly leaned over her shoulder to peer at the paper. She could smell her faint floral perfume and it made her lightheaded. “To…”

  
“Darling?” Now Holly was looking at her. Her hair tickled Darling’s cheek as she turned her head. Their faces were less than a foot apart. Darling noticed the tiny freckle right next to Holly’s nose. 

  
She really, really wanted to kiss her.

  
So Darling pulled back and stood up. It was impossible to think clearly this close to Holly. She rubbed her eyes, trying to remove the image of Holly from the back of her eyelids.

  
It didn’t work.

  
“I’m sorry, I—I can’t—” Darling started for the door. How could she have been so stupid? Agreeing to a meeting with her crush at night? All alone? She was supposed to be keeping her feelings private, not putting herself in a position to act on them!

  
“Darling, wait!”

  
She spun around.

  
Holly was frowning. “Where are you going?”

  
“I just think it’s best if I leave. If you’d like me to read any of your other works, please just email it to me.”

  
“But why? Was it something I did? Do I smell bad?”

  
Darling nearly laughed in spite of herself. Holly’s upbringing left her so naive. “No, it’s just—”

  
“It’s just what?” Now Holly looked annoyed. “I feel like I haven’t gotten to know you that well, and now that we’re becoming friends, you’re running away!”

  
Darling crossed her arms. She wished she could just disappear. Holly took a step forward, prompting Darling to step back. Another step forward. Another step back. Darling kept moving back as Holly marched forward until she slammed into a wall.

  
Curses. She missed the door.

  
Holly kept moving closer. Darling gulped and kept her arms crossed. Why couldn’t she get the hint?

  
“If it’s not something I did, and I don’t smell bad, then tell me what’s wrong.” Holly’s hard expression softened. “I don’t want to lose our friendship.”

  
Darling nearly snapped in frustration when Holly placed a soft hand on her arm. “If you move back, I’ll tell you.”

  
Startled by her unusually harsh tone, Holly did as she was told.

  
“With everything that’s happened, I don’t know how to feel, okay?” She waited until Holly nodded. “According to destiny, I’m supposed to be with Apple, but I don’t know if I can love her like that at this point. But according to literally everyone else, our destiny is a mistake. And now I’ve apparently taken a liking to you, so everything is just one big fucking mess.”

  
Holly’s jaw dropped.

  
Darling’s smug feeling at Holly’s reaction lasted only a second. Dread almost immediately took over. Telling Holly how she felt was almost surely a mistake. She was going to pay for it, big time.

  
She moved to go collect her belongings but Holly didn’t budge. Suddenly they were face-to-face, both girls holding their breath.

  
The door to the library swung open so fast the hinges screeched in protest.

  
“Holly, come quick!” Poppy screamed. Darling practically jumped away from Holly, certain their compromising position gave her away.

  
Holly dashed over to her sister. “What happened?”

  
“Snow White’s been poisoned!”


	11. Exciting News, I Hope

Hi everyone! Sorry this isn't a new chapter; I promise Chase's POV almost done being drafted! But I wanted to update y'all on something. I fully intended on writing a standalone. I thought I'd try my hand at giving Ever After High the conclusion it deserved. And I'm having a great time writing it! I've so many twists and turns I can't wait to surprise everyone with. But I got to thinking...what if it wasn't a standalone?

So if you haven't guessed by now, I'm planning on writing a sequel! It's going to focus on the children of the EAH characters (that's right, all new OCs created by yours truly!) but your beloved originals will definitely be present and playing a vital role. They're gonna be parents, after all! I don't want to give too much away, and I don't have the faintest idea of what the plot is going to be about, but just be aware that some things will be left unanswered by this story. I'll write the next one with the intention of tying up loose ends. And yes, there's gonna be more diversity (racially, ethnically, and of course we're gonna have more LGBTQ+ rep), so if you felt unsatisfied by the show's offerings, don't worry! 

I'm an amateur artist but I like drawing characters. A comic is definitely not in the works, but I'm thinking of illustrating some of the scenes from this story. Check out my tumblr (https://www.tumblr.com/blog/theendofeverafter) for my EAH art! I just posted a modernized drawing of Raven.

See ya soon!


	12. Chapter 8 - Chase Redford

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! Sorry about the wait. Things are getting serious at Ever After High. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Also: I gotta plug my tumblr again! Link is here: https://theendofeverafter.tumblr.com/
> 
> I post art (digital and traditional), do character studies, and reblog some cool stuff by other people! Make sure to follow me there--I also am starting to give hard updates as to when chapters will be released!

As a Wonderlandian, Chase had no love for the Ever After royal family. Their inaction caused the Evil Queen to nearly destroy his homeland. He was cordial to Apple when he had to talk to her, but he generally steered clear. When the Evil Queen was released last year, he couldn’t help but feel satisfied at the thought of Snow White getting a taste of her own medicine.

When he heard the news that she’d been poisoned, Chase feigned dismay. Classes were cancelled the next day so the entire kingdom could mourn, and the way things were looking, Chase would be surprised if the students resumed schooling this week.

He passed by sniffling students as he made his way to the sparring room. Though he hated his post, he still was the Red Knight of Wonderland, one of its two main protectors. With that came duties. He trained by himself three times a week and sparred with Darling on Wednesdays. The Track and Shield team, as well as every other team at Ever After High, had its practice cancelled for the day, so he moved up his training session with Darling a few hours.

Darling was already in the room. She was dressed in her usual athletic uniform of short blue shorts, protective padding, and a sleeveless pink tank top. Chase searched for her knight armor, but it was nowhere to be found.

He held up his own bag. “Thought we were training in armor today.”

She smacked her head. “Curses, I forgot!”

“No worries.” He flung his bag aside, grateful for an excuse to not have to put on his heavy, stuffy suit of red armor. “Let’s do warm-ups.”

They ran a few laps around the track-sized sparring room, then switched to push-ups and crunches. Chase tried to make conversation with her—he was proud to have finally won over her trust last year—but she answered only in short sentences, oftentimes losing her train of thought while speaking.

Chase surveyed her, wondering what had rattled her enough to make her lose focus like this. “Sad about the queen?”

Darling tore her eyes away from her sword, which was hanging limply from her hand. “Sorry, what?”

“Are you all right?”

She held out her sword in greeting. Chase returned the motion to begin the sparring period. “I guess I’m just confused by everything that’s happening.”

“You and me both,” said Chase. They clashed swords. “Seems like everything’s gone to shit. Who would poison the queen?”

Darling thrust her weapon forward, nearly hitting Chase’s padded chest. He jerked back and moved to the side. Practicing with real swords had its advantages—it was as close to a real challenge as they could get—but the dangers were undeniable. Headmaster Grimm discouraged it every time he watched them practice. “Oh, that. Yeah, it is strange.”

“You’re not too broken up about it, then.”

She shrugged, giving him the perfect open to attempt a hit. She jumped just in time. “Not really the sentimental type, contrary to how I might present out there.”

“Meaning you think she’s a horrible person.”

“Pretty much.”

They sparred for a while, each besting the other a few times. Chase relished the familiarity of being in battle. His skill was the only thing he could count on these days. After a while, though, Darling’s absentmindedness became too much of an issue to overcome. She kept dropping her sword and moving sluggishly.

Chase withdrew his weapon. “Okay, that’s enough for today.”

“But we’ve only practiced for half an hour!” Darling protested.

He sheathed his sword and gave her a look. “You can’t fight with this much on your mind. Go take the day off.” She opened her mouth to counter him, but he held up a hand. “I mean it.”

“Darling?”

They both turned to acknowledge Holly O’Hair, who had entered the sparring room without either of them hearing her. Chase internally face-palmed. Rule number two of being a knight: never let down your guard.

Darling seemed to tense up next to him. “I’m busy, Holly.”

“We need to talk.” Holly’s usually cheerful demeanor was extremely distressed.

“Can you tell her to go away?” Darling whispered to Chase, her voice sounding weirdly close to a whine.

Chase looked from one girl to the other. Something must have happened between them. He wanted to pry, but Darling would probably have his head for doing so. He turned to Holly. “Do you mind talking to her later? We’re kind of in the middle of something.”

Holly blinked rapidly before rushing out of the room.

“Whatever that was, you should probably go take care of it. She looked really upset.” Chase shouldered his bag of knight gear and started for the door.

Chase had his suspicions about Darling, but the awkward exchange between her, Holly, and him confirmed it. There was something going on with them. He wasn’t sure if they were dating, recently split up, or even just crushing on each other, but feelings were definitely involved. Darling never mentioned anything about her love life to him, not even details about her supposed destiny with Apple, so he couldn’t approach her about it. He just hoped she would do the right thing.

Shrieks interrupted his train of thought. Chase immediately stopped, guessed the direction they were coming from, and raced toward the sound. As it grew louder, he realized it was coming from the dance studio. He peered through the glass and watched as Justine Dancer and Duchess Swan huddled in a corner and screamed at the top of their lungs.

“What’s going on?” Chase asked as he burst into the room.

Neither princess paused their yelling, but Duchess waved her hand in the direction of the opposite corner of the room. Chase spotted a small, gray mouse scurrying on the floor. He laughed to himself as he picked it up.

“Ladies, you can stop screaming now. I’ve secured the rodent.”

Justine popped an eye open. When she saw the mouse was safely in Chase’s hands, she quieted. Duchess followed suit. Chase walked over to them, holding the mouse up, but the two dancers scattered.

“It’s just a harmless mouse! Probably friends with Ashlynn Ella.”

“That’s exactly why I don’t trust it,” muttered Duchess.

Justine took a tentative step toward him, then another. Chase held out his hands. The mouse had stopped moving and was now looking up at Justine. She stuck out a wobbly finger. Chase nodded for her to pet it.

She touched its head and quickly jerked her finger back.

“I promise it won’t bite.” Chase smiled.

Justine petted it again, this time with two fingers. A small smile pulled her lips upward. “Hey, little guy. Are you scared? You’re a good little boy, aren’t you?”

“For godmother’s sake, Justine, it’s not a dog!” Duchess shuddered. “I can’t believe you’re touching a rat!”

“Mouse,” Chase and Justine said simultaneously. They laughed.

Chase felt his heart beat a bit louder as he looked at Justine. He tried to quiet it, but to no avail. He vowed to not get into anything romantic as a senior after his tumultuous junior year. Four girlfriends in ten months gave people the wrong impression about him. He moved away from Justine and took the mouse over to the window. Careful not to drop it, he opened the window, reached down, and released the mouse onto the ground.

Duchess smoothed her bun. “Whatever-after. Justine, I think we’re done for the day. I’ll see you Friday afternoon.” She slipped off her ballet slippers and put on fuzzy slippers. Her feet must really have been hurting if she wasn’t wearing her usual sky-high heels.

“Friday? Why not tomorrow?”

“I’m busy” is all Duchess would say. She left the studio in a hurry.

Justine looked down at her own slippers. She pointed one foot in a ballet pose before twirling in a perfect circle. Then she stopped, pursing her lips and furrowing her brow. “Have you ever danced ballet?”

Chase laughed sharply. “I’m a terrible dancer in general. My mom says I have two left feet.”

Justine snapped her fingers once and held out her hands. Chase surprised himself by taking them. Faint classical music began to play. “I believe everyone can dance. It’s all about finding the rhythm.” She began to sway back and forth. Chase tried to mimic her. “No, don’t copy me. Do your own thing. Feel the music.”

Chase attempted to follow her advice. He listened to the beautiful music and allowed his body to move accordingly.

“That’s perfect!” Justine’s pearly-white smile brought back that thumping feeling in Chase’s chest. She closed her eyes and stood on pointe. “Follow my lead.”

Justine began her routine. Chase had no clue what was going on; all he knew was that Justine was a beautiful, lively dancer. She raised their hands so she could twirl smoothly. She pointed her foot in the air in impossible directions. Chase was awed by her agility. When she finished, he couldn’t find the courage to let go. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to want to.

She looked him right in the eyes and said, “You were awesome.”

“Me? I barely did anything! You’re a beautiful dancer.”

Her umber-colored skin seemed to shimmer as she beamed. “It’s because of my story. Duchess is way more impressive. She had to practice for years to get to where she is now. You should have seen her earlier.”

“Inherent or not, that was still amazing.” Chase reached out and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. “We haven’t really talked before. That’s a shame.”

Justine’s smile faltered. She slipped out of Chase’s arms and crossed her own in front of her chest. “Yeah, we haven’t.”

Chase was confused. Weren’t they having a moment? What changed?

Justine seemed to read his mind. “I’m really close to Melody, Farrah, and Meeshell.”

He swore internally. Of course! Why hadn’t he remembered? They’d all mentioned Justine at one point or another, but Chase was too engrossed in his latest girlfriend to care about her friends. And if Justine was friends with Meeshell, there’s no way she’d give him the time of day.

“I don’t mind making new friends, but I don’t go after the guy who made my friend feel insecure.” Justine’s demeanor had changed so much that he was convinced she was in a trance during their dance.

“Can we at least be friends, then?” Chase was grasping at straws now.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, actually.” Justine pointed to the door, looking uneasy. “In fact, you should probably leave now.”

Chase wanted to plead his case, but he knew better than to argue. He shouldered his belongings once again and left the studio.

Talk about a disaster. He knew his dating history would come back to bite him in the ass. In less than a minute, his chances with one of the prettiest, kindest girls at school had evaporated. This was what he deserved for going against the promise he’d made to himself.

He decided to store his armor in the sparring room and head back to the dorms. He didn’t feel like going out today. As he left the sparring room, he ran into Hunter Huntsman, who was hurrying down the hall.

“What’s up, man? Jog with me.” Hunter dashed past him. Chase wasn’t all that tired from his shortened practice with Darling, so he honored his new friend’s request.

Once Chase caught up, Hunter turned to him. “What’s got you looking so down?”

Chase explained the whole fiasco with Justine to him. Hunter was a surprisingly good friend to Chase, which is why he often found himself venting to him in a way he never would with one of his non-Wonderlandian friends. Hunter mulled the situation over in his head for a bit. “Sounds like you’ve got to prove yourself to her and her friends. Either that or you give up and find someone else.”

“But what if I don’t want someone else?”

Hunter gave Chase a look. They were out of the athletic section of the school and back in the main building. “Well then, you better think of something. Maybe start by, you know, apologizing to Meeshell?”

“I don’t know how I can do that, though.” He recounted what happened the last time he tried to apologize to her. Tears were shed and doors were slammed.

Hunter slowed down. Chase followed suit. “Figure out how to do it right this time. She’s very sensitive.”

Chase watched as Hunter exited the school using one of the side doors. “Man, where are you going?”

“Shh!” Hunter called out. Chase’s curiosity was piqued. He followed his friend out of the school and crouched down beside him. “Ashlynn said Headmaster Grimm asked the other children of the Big Three to travel to the White Castle.” When Chase looked confused, Hunter said, “The Big Three, the most important stories in the fairytale realm: Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella. Ash asked me to come with her because she doesn’t trust Grimm, and neither do I.”

Up ahead on the road, a gleaming limousine was parked right in front of the school. Ashlynn and Briar stood huddled together, listening to the instructions of what looked to be like the driver. He was a stoutly dwarf with a bald head and a purple beard.

“Why am I here?” Chase whispered.

“I’m allowed to go with Ashlynn because I’m her long-term partner. Briar doesn’t have one. We need you to pretend to be her boyfriend so you can protect her.”

Chase nearly fell over. “You’re pulling my leg. Grimm knows we’re not together!”

Hunter frowned. “I wouldn’t joke about something this serious. We just need to get you in the castle. Even though he’s aware you two aren’t actually dating, by then it’ll be too late. We have a bad feeling about what’s about to happen.”

What was the harm in helping out his friends? He was breaking the rules, sure, but it was for a good cause. Chase found himself nodding. “Fine. Just this once. And if Justine hates me even more for this, you owe me.”

“What’s the big deal with her, anyway? She’s not the only person in school.”

Chase found that he couldn’t answer Hunter’s question. How did he get so attached to her in so little time?

The princesses began to walk down the steps. “Never mind that,” Hunter said, straightening up. “Come on!”

The boys raced to the limousine. When Ashlynn saw them, her face softened with relief. “Finally! Took you boys long enough.”

The driver looked them up and down. “These are the partners you talked about?”

Hunter and Chase were both dressed sloppily compared to the regal dresses Ashlynn and Briar were wearing. Chase grinned sheepishly. Hopefully the sweat stains on his workout clothes weren’t too noticeable.

Briar looped her arm through his, fighting back a smile. “Yup. Now let’s get going. We don’t want to be late.”

  
****

  
The drive to White Castle was very uneventful. Chase made small, sanitized talk with Ashlynn, Hunter, and Briar to keep up their charade. If the driver found him to be suspicious, he didn’t show it. Chase glanced out the window every so often. Ever After was immensely different from Wonderland. The houses—cottages, really—were stout and grouped together in pockets, there were hardly any open expanses near the residential areas, and everything seemed so neat and clean. The wilderness seemed to be sequestered away from people’s homes, on the outskirts of Ever After, rather than mixed in like back home. Ever After High was on one side of the realm’s main village and the castle was on the other. Despite that, it didn’t take long for the four students to be chauffeured to the front entrance of Snow White’s castle.

Chase’s breath caught as he exited the limousine. The shimmering steps in front of him led to a building that was tall and shone like opaque glass. It nearly hurt his eyes. He craned his neck, trying to gauge exactly how tall the tallest point was.

“Follow me,” a high-pitched voice said.

He glanced back down and spotted the butler who was waving for the four students to follow him. Chase glanced at Hunter, shrugged, and made his way up the stairs.

The elevator just inside the entrance shot up faster than anything Chase had ever been in. He gripped the wall handle tightly, ignoring Ashlynn and Briar’s giggles.

“It takes some getting used to,” Briar said.

“I concur,” he responded through gritted teeth.

The elevator began to slow before gliding to a graceful stop. The butler marched forward, moving so quickly Chase stumbled to keep up.

“Your Highnesses!” Another voice called out. Up ahead, another dwarf dressed in a sharp-looking suit waved manically in front of an ornate set of double doors.

The group reached him in only a few short seconds. The butler bowed before retreating to the elevator.

“I must thank you for coming on such a short notice,” the dwarf said, giving his own bow. Chase spied the name _Spencer Truit_ on his lapel. “There is much to be discussed today, and since your parents cannot be here, you will act as representatives of your kingdoms. Let’s go.” Mr. Truit made an about-face and pulled at the door handles. “You’re right on time.”

Chase looked at Briar, who was biting her lip hard enough to draw blood. He leaned in close to her. “You okay?”

She let go of her lip and sighed. “I’m not sure. Lately everything has been so confusing.”

He was about to respond but was cut off by the opening of the doors. Inside the room was a sleek, silver round table outlined with tall red chairs. Chase spotted Headmaster Grimm immediately, who had his hands clasp and was looking pensively off into the distance.

“May I present Their Royal Highnesses Crown Princess Briar Beauty of Perceforest and Crown Princess Ashlynn Ella of Rhodopis,” Mr. Truit boomed.

Ashlynn and Briar gave each other a look before entering the meeting room. Chase watched Grimm glance at them in appraisal. Apple, whom Chase hadn’t noticed before, sprang up from her seat and rushed around to her friends. She enveloped Ashlynn first in a huge hug, sobbing quietly. Chase couldn’t hear the murmured words passed between them. When they finally parted, Apple turned to Briar. Chase was surprised when Apple gave Briar a stiff short hug. Weren’t they supposed to be best friends forever after?

Mr. Truit cleared his throat, chasing away Chase’s thoughts on the matter before he could ponder it any further. “The princesses are accompanied by their partners: Hunter Huntsman and—” He paused, turning around to look at Chase. “What’s your name, kid?”

Chase blushed before saying, “Prince Chase Redford of Wonderland.”

The dwarf’s brow furrowed. “There’s a prince of Wonderland?”

“Well, I’m technically from Alekhine, which is a part of Wonderland.”

Mr. Truit shrugged. Then he spun to face the room and declared, “—as well as Prince Chase Redford of Wonderland, but technically Alekhine. His words.”

Hunter snorted softly before taking a seat beside Ashlynn, who’d already sat down with Briar on either side of Apple. Chase followed and sat on Briar’s left. He knew no one at the meeting besides Headmaster Grimm and Apple. The only thing he could do was hope it didn’t run too long.

Headmaster Grimm clapped once, silencing the quiet chatter between the other people at the table. “I call this meeting to order. This is a turbulent, trying time for the world of Ever After. I’m glad all of you were able to come today. Our beloved queen is being cared for by the best physicians in the land. I’m certain everything will be just fine in the end.”

Apple sniffled.

“However, the queen’s full recovery isn’t guaranteed, and I believe it would be irresponsible to remain as we are now—devoid of a contingency plan. As the crown princess of Ever After, our dear Apple White is next in line for the throne.”

Chase, along with everyone else at the table, glanced at Apple. She looked even paler than usual, if that was possible. Her cheeks were no longer rosy and the spark had gone out of her eyes. Even her bouncy blond hair had fallen flat. For the first time, Chase could only see her as a regular girl. Melancholy, pitiful, and certainly not the fairest in the land.

“Grimm, if I may…” a woman cloaked in a fine silk dress began.  
The headmaster nodded.

“Some of us dignitaries are worried about this arrangement. Our precious princess is our pride and joy as Ever Afters, no doubt about that, but…” The dignitary bit her lip. “I’m not sure she’s up for the challenge of ruling.”

A few people gasped, including Briar. Chase’s brow furrowed. Apple not becoming queen seemed like a bandersnatch giving birth to a croquet ball. Though not impossible—nothing was—he just didn’t see how it could happen.

“Are you insinuating the girl who has studied and trained for this position her whole life is not, in fact, ready for it?” A man in a garish velvet suit retorted.

The first dignitary flushed immediately. “Of course not! But just look at her.” She pointed at Apple. “The poor lamb’s distraught. She needs time to be with her mother. I can’t imagine how she must be feeling.”

“Wait a spell!” Ashlynn slapped the table, startling Chase. From the looks of everyone at the table, Chase knew he wasn’t the only person astonished to see the kind-hearted princess react so harshly. “Apple is right here. It’s not fairest to speak as though she isn’t!” Ashlynn placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “You have the right to say your piece.”

Apple blinked back tears before saying, “Lady Zahira is right. I don’t feel like I can rule right now.”

“But Apple—”

She held up a hand, cutting Ashlynn off. “I didn’t say I would never do it. I just…I need to stay at my mother’s side. Besides me, she has no close relatives.”

Headmaster Grimm nodded. “Of course, Your Highness. You are under no pressure to rush into your duties before you feel ready. We must all remember how difficult these times are for you.” He cleared his throat. “Well then, we must choose a regent. According to Ever After law, a relative must rule temporarily should the heir be unable to ascend to the throne. Unfortunately, Apple does not have any living relatives who can fulfill this role.”

“Do you, um, know who you’d like to be regent?” Briar said, a troubled expression clouding her face.

Apple buried her face in her hands. “I—I don’t know. I haven’t had time to think about it.”

An awkward silence followed. Chase was happy he didn’t have to make these sorts of decisions back home. It was a blessing being a prince but not in line for the throne.

“Apple, dear,” another woman piped up. “As dignitaries, we do a lot of traveling to different kingdoms. I myself just returned from Eos the other day. Most of us are unfamiliar with the intricacies of Ever After and all its specific needs.” She paused, appearing to choose her words carefully. “I don’t think it would be a good idea to choose a regent from among us.”

“Speak for yourself,” a bald, goateed man huffed.

“Terrence, you’re an ambassador to Wonderland.”

He threw up his hands. “All the better, then!”

“What about you, Milton?” A gangly man said in a loud voice.

Grimm’s eyes widened. “Me?” He began to laugh. “Peter, you amuse me. The children at Ever After High are enough. I don’t need to run an entire kingdom.”

“But you know this realm inside and out. Your time at the school has made you an excellent leader. After the queen, everyone looks to you!” A few other dignitaries nodded.

Chase’s heart began to pound. Something wasn’t right here, but he couldn’t put his finger on why. He snuck a glance at Hunter, who was looking back at him with a worried expression. Chase gave him an almost imperceptible head shake before facing forward.

Briar leaned over and whispered, _“Not good. Grimm cannot get more power.”_

“I…” Headmaster Grimm whipped his head around before peering at Apple. “Your Highness, what is your opinion?”

Chase tried to catch Apple’s eye while not alerting Grimm, but she stared blankly at the table in front of her. He could tell she was thinking hard about the prospect. Then she sat up right, clasped her own trembling hands, and said, “I approve. I think Headmaster Milton Grimm should take over as regent while my mother recovers.”

Briar latched onto Chase’s arm from underneath the table. Her sharp nails hurt, but he didn’t say a word. All he could think about was the protest.

_You’re signing whether you like it or not._

Grimm began speaking again, but Chase’s mind was racing too fast to process what was being said. The events of the protest looped again and again in his mind.

_You’re signing whether you like it or not._

_Trust me, there are ways._

The fight to stop Legacy Day just got harder.


	13. Chapter 9 - Duchess Swan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Thanks to a horrible fall semester and a much-needed winter break, I went silent on here for a few months. If you follow me on Tumblr, you probably know this. And a reminder: I've got a Tumblr blog! I've had one for a while now. It's got art by yours truly, rants about the show, updates about upcoming chapters, and a few in-depth analyses about different concepts and characters. Check it out here: https://theendofeverafter.tumblr.com/
> 
> Enjoy! Next up is Cedar's POV, which is already in the works.

Queen Snow White died late at night on September 12, 559, alone and comatose in her hospital room. They said it happened so quickly no one even noticed. Her most loyal dwarves, the ones who watched over her day and night, were in the middle of changing shifts when she died. Apple was roused from her sleep and informed. Apparently, she collapsed on the spot.

Duchess gleaned all this information from Kitty, who had made it a habit to spy on Royals in her free time. The two of them, along with Lizzie and Faybelle, stretched out on her bed after the funeral.

“So Grimm’s gonna take her place?” Faybelle asked, filing away at her nails.

“For now, yeah,” said Duchess. She picked at a loose thread on her black funeral dress. It was a simple number that she’d stowed away in her closet after the supposedly inevitable did not happen to her mother. It pinched in the waist and was made of ugly velvet and she hated it.

Lizzie sighed. “I can’t imagine losing my mother. Even when we were separated, at least I knew she was alive. I feel so bad for Apple.”

Duchess held her tongue. She’d lost her mother too, in a way. The thought of her mother being forever relegated to her swamp in Story-by-the-Sea always made her feel sick. Growing up with the knowledge that her mother was there and yet wasn’t was confusing. Apple had it easy, in her opinion.

“You’re so right, Duchess,” Kitty said.

“Right about what?”

“Oops!” Her pale cheeks reddened. “The Narrator was talking really loud.”

Duchess didn’t know what to make of Maddie and Kitty’s claims that there was an overarching Narrator documenting what was happening in their lives, so she usually decided to ignore them. This was one of those times.

After an awkward pause, Kitty spoke again. “Are we sure this is a bad thing for Apple?”

Lizzie raised an eyebrow.

“I mean, come on! I heard the queen’s a hardass and places a lot of pressure on her. Well, she used to, anyway. And don’t you remember the Evil Queen’s escape? Snow White put a lot of people in danger with her ‘plan’. She and Apple never faced any consequences for letting the Evil Queen go.”

“She’s got a point,” said Faybelle. “I had to scrub down the entire school for doing the exact same thing as Apple. She’s too important to break a nail, but I’m not?”

Duchess snorted. “You did set half the Evil Queen’s plans in motion. And technically, weren’t you the person who poisoned Apple?”

The future dark fairy bristled at that. Duchess knew that Faybelle didn’t feel much remorse for hurting Apple and doing the Evil Queen’s bidding. She’d said as much when Duchess confronted her after the ordeal. The only reason she switched sides was that she realized the Queen didn’t care about her. Her friend’s insistence on being evil scared Duchess at times. If it were beneficial for her to screw over her friends in her quest for glory, would Faybelle do it? Duchess couldn’t pretend to know the answer. Instead, she learned to take the bad with the good. Ultimately, Faybelle was a serviceable friend for the remainder of their time at Ever After High.

“Whatever after,” Faybelle finally replied. “All I’m saying is that neither of them are innocent. There’s a clear bias at this school with how they treat heroes and villains.”

“Let’s put last year behind us,” Duchess proclaimed, eager to stop thinking about the Evil Queen, death, and other gloomy things. “A new semester has started and Legacy has been temporarily postponed. Things may be strange right now—”

“Understatement of the story year,” Lizzie interjected.

Duchess rolled her eyes. “Girls, we need to start looking to the future. Lizzie, you need to figure out how to combine your relationship with your destiny. Kitty…” She regarded the sleeping werecat with annoyance. “…you don’t seem to have many plans other than taking naps. Faybelle, you’re going to have to find yourself another Sleeping Beauty. And I will…” What was her main goal going to be this semester?

“Follow your destiny?” asked Faybelle.

“Find love?” Lizzie gave Duchess a pointed look, which promptly went ignored.

“Open up a feather jewelry boutique?” Faybelle pointed her finger at Duchess’s hair and magically extracted the mauve feather nestled in her locks.

Duchess sniffed. “No, and you can put that feather on my nightstand, thank you very much.” She turned her head to the side, surveying her room for inspiration. Her spotless vanity held only her makeup and hair products. Her ballet slippers, uncharacteristically strewn near the doorway, served as a reminder that she had already secured the part of the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. As she scanned her desk, her eyes landed on the Multivariable Crownculus assignment she’d aced.

“I’m gunning for valedictorian.”

“You’re mad,” Lizzie blurted out. At Faybelle’s dry cackle, she amended her statement. “Almost as mad as Madeline Hatter. Are you aware of the existence of one Apple White?”

Kitty yawned, having roused from her nap at the sound of Duchess’s declaration. Still, even she looked perturbed. “How exactly do you plan on surpassing her? She’s a genius.”

Only Faybelle looked as though Duchess was making sense. A wicked grin bloomed on her face, one that only made an appearance when something truly struck her fancy. “Um, hello? Don’t you remember whose boring funeral we went to this morning?”

Duchess gave her friend an appreciative smile. Finally, someone who saw the value of thinking two steps ahead. “I wouldn’t put it as crassly as that, but Apple’s got her mind on much more important things these days. I highly doubt she’s up to coming back to school any time soon, much less studying for tomorrow’s Perfect Poetry quiz.”

“Shit, there’s a quiz?” Kitty muttered to herself.

A muffled shriek interrupted their conversation. Then another. A roar of chatter followed. Duchess frowned as she stood up and made her way to the door. Senior girls did not make a fuss in the corridor.

“People are trying to enjoy the end of the weekend!” Duchess complained, flinging the door open. She peered down the hallway and nearly shrieked herself.

There, standing like only a miracle was keeping her upright, was Apple.

Duchess was nearly bowled over by Faybelle and Lizzie as they clamored behind her to see what was going on. “What’s happening?” whispered Lizzie.

“Apple.”

Kitty materialized in front of both of them. The four watched as more girls poured out of their rooms and surrounded Apple. The distraught princess was still dressed in her ornate, white funeral dress. It was customary in most kingdoms of the fairytale world for the family of the deceased to wear colors symbolizing life contrary to the guests. What was strange, though, was the contrast of Apple’s attire with her appearance. Her once-immaculate hair now hung in limp waves around her face. The famed “skin as white as snow” and “lips red as a rose” were reduced to pasty, pallid versions of themselves.

Duchess couldn’t take her eye off of her peer. There was an unusual, uncomfortable feeling building up inside of her. Was this what people referred to as…pity?

“Make way!” bellowed Blondie, appearing at Apple’s side as if she’d teleported. Her golden curls, which were recently sheared to just below her chin in what she called an effort to make her look “more mature”, bobbed up and down as she pulled her friend through the crowd.

The girls surrounding them reluctantly parted for the princess and her friend. Duchess watched as they trudged down the hall and into Apple’s dorm room. There was something wrong with this picture, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

“Guess I was wrong,” Kitty mumbled. She bit her lip and furrowed her brow. “Congrats on being valedictorian.”

The silence that settled in as Apple made her procession was broken. Whispers sprung up like cicadas on a warm summer night. There was Crystal, Farrah, Darling, even Bunny…what was happening here? Duchess counted ten, no, twenty of Apple’s friends in the crowd. They all looked anxious at the state of their friend, but none had gone to be with her. They were the goody-two-shoes characters—shouldn’t they be by Apple’s side?

Duchess was determined to find out what had changed. She left the safety of her doorway and approached the group of girls. The few that noticed her regarded her warily, but she ignored their looks. Duchess was used to being seen as intimidating. She was the tallest girl in school, after all.

“Okay, did someone cast a topsy-turvy spell here? Or did I not just see Apple walk to her room alone after her mom got buried three hours ago?”

No one answered, though everyone was paying attention to her by the time she finished speaking. Duchess pointed to Farrah, who clutched her wand like she was afraid Duchess was going to steal it. “You. You’re supposed to be Apple’s friend, right? What gives?”

Farrah’s wings flushed bright red. She stared at the floor as if she was expecting it to produce an answer for her. “We, um…we were all with her at the burial.”

“Bull- _shit_ ,” said Faybelle, apparently interested enough in the ensuing drama to join in. She smirked as she stared her cousin down. “I watched you all. None of you went near her.”

“Well, why do you care?” Lacey Greensleeves piped up. The diminutive girl glared at Duchess and Faybelle. Duchess bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from laughing at the girl’s attempt at intimidation. “You’ve always hated Apple. You two were probably happy Her Royal Majesty died!”

“Oh, please,” scoffed Faybelle. She tossed her platinum-white ponytail. “As if we care what some backgrounder with split ends think.”

Duchess raised a hand to stop her friend. She secretly enjoyed the hurt look on Lacey’s face. “You’re right. Neither of us are BFFAs with her. I just want to know what changed. You’re avoiding her like she’s got something contagious.”

The faint tinkling of bells signaled that Kitty had arrived. “It’s because of that rumor, isn’t it?” She put her hands on her hips.

“What rumor?”

“There’s no rumor,” Crystal said quickly, her blueish cheeks turning an odd shade of pink. The panicked look in her eyes piqued Duchess’s interest.

Kitty grinned. “You guys think Apple was the one who did it. That’s why you’re staying away from her. Isn’t that right, Bunny?”

The white-haired girl blinked rapidly, her doe eyes growing shinier by the second. “Not all of us buy into that stupid rumor. We were just—”

“Just what?”

“Off with all of you!” Lizzie shouted, and everyone turned to look at her. Duchess was impressed. She may have been one of the smallest girls in their class, but Lizzie sure could command attention. She tapped the toe of her crimson heel on the wooden floor. “Do you mean to tell me that some people here think Apple poisoned her mother? Are you all—”

“Mad?” Duchess cut in. “Seems like it.” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. At the drop of a hat, Apple’s BFFAs all turned on her because of a single rumor. There was no way she could let this go. There had to be more to the story. “Why would Apple want to kill her mother?”

“Does it matter?” said Bunny. “It’s not true, anyway.”

“Then why are you avoiding her?”

“Because that’s what Headmaster Grimm told them to do.”

Darling’s exhausted voice cut through the conversation. Her light blue jacket and crisp white jeans were neon next to the jet blacks and deep violets of the girls surrounding her. She was the only one who had changed. She locked eyes with Duchess. “Both royalty and Royal students were told not to associate with Apple while the investigation is going on.”

“She’s a suspect?” Faybelle asked, her eyebrows shooting up.

“We don’t know. They’re compiling evidence.” At this, Darling chuckled. “Why they’re even considering her, I don’t know. But these girls can’t even stick up for someone who’s supposed to be their friend.”

That was rich coming from her. “What about you? You kissed her awake. Shouldn’t you be with her?”

Darling shrugged, but Duchess could tell she’d hit a sore spot. “We’re more acquaintances at the moment.”

“And?”

“And Blondie has her MirrorPad on her at all times. Happy?” Darling pushed past her. Duchess watched as she slunk back to her room. Now that Darling’s White Knight secret was out, she was a lot less cheerful and gumdrop-sweet than before. Duchess much preferred the new Darling.

Darling’s exit signaled to the other girls that they, too, should disperse. Duchess, Faybelle, Kitty, and Lizzie stood together as the Royals scampered back to their rooms. The irregular door slams created a cacophony in the hallway before fading into silence.

“Wow.”

“Wow indeed,” Duchess replied to Faybelle, whose eyebrows were still high on her forehead. “How the mighty have fallen.”

Her phone alarm chirped, reminding her of the obligation she had every Sunday afternoon. If she hurried back to her room and changed in five minutes, she wouldn’t be late.

“I’m going to go spy on Apple,” Kitty announced, already halfway faded. She winked before letting her signature smile carry her away.

Lizzie clapped her hands. “Enough of this doom and gloom. I’m headed into Book End to find a suitable shop in which to distract myself. Do either of you want to join me?”

Faybelle turned to Duchess. Her wide-eyed expression told her Faybelle didn’t want to be alone with Lizzie. “You’re going, right?”

“Nope,” Duchess said, holding her head high. There were many more important things to be done this weekend. “I’ve got a date.”

Twenty minutes later, Duchess found herself back at the Enchanted Lake. It was seasonably warm for mid-September, and she was glad she’d dressed appropriately for the occasion. True, a lavender tank top and patchy jean shorts weren’t princess attire, but they were perfect for a conversation out of the sun.

She reached into her purse and pulled out a slim, crystal vial. It was filled to the brim with oleander tonic thanks to her annual replenishment. She clutched it tightly in her fist, making sure the glassy bottle didn’t slip from her grasp. Then she dropped to her knees at the bank of the lake. The long grass bit at her legs, but she hardly noticed.

With a pop of the cap and a flick of her wrist, Duchess poured some of the tonic into the lake. She only needed a little. The water slowed and solidified until about fifteen square inches of the lake resembled a mirror.

“Audeline Swan,” she called out.

The mirror shimmered for a bit before her grandmother’s face faded into view. Duchess beamed. She was home.

“Duchess? Is that you?”

She rolled her eyes in vain but couldn’t stop smiling. “Grandma, I told you I’d call today.”

Grandma Swan chuckled, sending wrinkles rippling across her weathered face. “You can never be too sure these days. Once little birdies leave the nest, they think themselves too important to check in on their family.”

“You know I’d never miss our chats,” Duchess said. She hesitated, weighing the pros and cons of telling her grandmother about the events at Ever After. It was likely she had no knowledge of the many events that had taken place just weeks into her senior year. After all, they were communicating using water and magic, something that had gone out of fashion in Story-by-the-Sea after Mirror technology was invented. But Grandma Swan claimed she was too old to change her ways to start “messing with newfangled devices”. Duchess didn’t want to worry her more than was necessary.

“Is everything all right, cygnet?”

Duchess cringed at Grandma Swan’s old nickname for her. She swallowed. “Things are…changing around here. It’s hard to know what to expect.”

Her grandmother nodded sagely, adjusting the chained spectacles on the bridge of her nose. “I concur. You’re in your final year, just about ready to start your story, and you haven’t had your black swan transformation yet. Any Swan princess would feel the same.”

Duchess’s blood went cold at the mention of that wretched event. She forbade herself from thinking about it too long. And yet, here was her grandmother, acting as if it was the most normal thing in the world. “We don’t know that it’s going to happen to me.”

Grandma Swan wrinkled her nose. “Keep telling yourself that, girlie. I had it, your mother had it…in fact, every Swan girl without a sister has gone on record as having it.”

“I’m turning eighteen in April. If it was going to happen, it would have already.”

Her denial was met with a sigh. “Cygnet, I understand that you don’t want to go through it. It can be a grotesque thing. During my transformation, I laid waste to an entire forest in northern Story-Sea. Few animals were spared. I understand your apprehension.”

“But—”

“But,” Grandma continued, “You can’t deny that you’re experiencing symptoms. I’d be inclined to agree with you if you weren’t shedding feathers like crazy. Your temperament has changed considerably over the past couple of years. My theory is that the delay is due to childhood trauma.”

Duchess felt numb. She wasn’t stupid. She saw the feathers magically raining down from her body every day. She knew her high school mean streak wasn’t entirely natural. And she knew that she wasn’t any different from any of the Swan princesses before—save for the new, terrible ending to her story. But fifteen hit and the transformation never came. Sixteen arrived, then seventeen…was it so wrong to believe that maybe, just maybe, the week-long event of turning into an evil swan wouldn’t arrive?

“Duchess…”

She shook her head. Moping was for losers. As a princess, she needed to hold her head high and accept whatever came her way. She looked at her grandmother, who looked older and more tired than Duchess had ever seen her, and nodded. “I get it. I need to be prepared for it. I’ll stay in the Dark Forest if it happens and notify you when I can.”

Grandma Swan smiled again, hints of sadness still very much present in her warm brown eyes. “Cygnet, I know it’s hard. But I believe in you.” When Duchess nodded again in response, her smile authenticated. “Now, enough of that boring stuff. Tell me about senior year! What classes are you taking? Any cute boys?”

Duchess burst into laughter. Grandma Swan’s timing was impeccable. A lot had happened this year, even outside all of the scary Legacy Day—Snow White drama. She traced a finger against the mirror lake, thinking of where to start. “Well…”


	14. Chapter 10 - Cedar Wood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Noted this on my blog, but for those who don't read it/haven't seen it: this chapter contains a deviation from the book "A Wonderlandiful World". In my story, assume most of the events in the last 2 chapters of that book did not occur.
> 
> Happy reading!

Cedar plucked her MirrorPad and -Pencil from the top shelf of her locker. In her favorite wooden platform wedges, she was just tall enough to reach it without help. Classes had resumed that day for the first time since Snow White was poisoned, and now that the school day was over, Cedar had the rest of the day to do whatever she wanted. Everyone seemed to still be broken up by the queen’s passing. Art Club’s biweekly meetings were canceled for the next month, as was the year’s inaugural Yearbook Club opening party. Cedar was free as a songbird for the foreseeable future, which would have been exciting…if not for the absolute chaos going on at the school.

She put the items in her backpack, smoothed down the peeling stickers on the inside of her locker, and shut the door. Cedar had a hard time truly getting in touch with her feelings. She tried, she really did. And sometimes when she concentrated hard, she could almost convince herself she’d managed to feel something. Like at the protest, when she was upstaged by Rosabella. Or earlier today, when Professor Rumpelstiltskin got through an entire class of Science and Sorcery II without giving a single person detention. Cedar was almost certain she’d felt a thorny branch of fear coiling through her heartwood.

Alas, it was just an internal splinter.

But the teachers were acting strange. Along with Rumpelstiltskin, Professors Nimble, Card, and Bear all seemed unusually subdued today, as if a dark sorcerer had placed a topsy-turvy curse on them. Maybe they were still mourning Snow White. As faculty of the most prestigious school in Ever After, they probably were at least acquainted with the realm’s monarch. Yes, Cedar nodded to herself as she finally started down the hallway. That was the most logical answer.

“Cedar!” Up ahead, Raven flagged her down. She stood next to Dexter Charming, her boyfriend. After almost two years of darting around each other, unable to confess their feelings to each other, the pair were officially an item.

Cedar joined them by the water fountain. “What’s up? How were classes today?”

Dexter frowned. “Awful. Professor Knight sat us down and told us stories about his time on the queen’s guard. I mean, I’m sad she’s gone too, but it was so boring.”

“Yeah, all my teachers didn’t feel like teaching today.” Raven started walking in the direction of the library, and Cedar and Dexter followed. “Professor Nimble even let me skip detention today to meet with Baba Yaga.”

“What for?” Cedar asked.

Raven cackled. “Nothing! I didn’t even give an explanation. I don’t actually have to see her. Detention’s torture and I wanted to leave.”

All her friends could lie with ease. They could get out of any tricky situation with the power of their voices. But Cedar was trapped in her wooden cage, cursed to only tell the truth until the spell was lifted. She’d tasted freedom once before, but she didn’t like to think about it much.

They passed by the smallest of the Three Little Pigs. He took one look at Raven, gulped, and jumped into his locker. Cedar watched as Raven scowled and moved closer to Dexter.

“That was rude.” The truth slipped out of her mouth.

“Yeah, it was.”

Cedar knew she should lighten the mood. Dexter sure wasn’t going to do it. “I’ve been thinking about what happens after we graduate. Have either of you made any plans?”

To her surprise, Dexter groaned.

“Did I say something wrong?”

He shook his head but didn’t answer her. Dexter looked a bit ill, come to think about it. He was paler than normal and his eyes kept darting to the ground.

“Are you sick? You look sick. Oops, sorry.”

Raven nudged him, giving him a pointed look. Cedar suddenly felt like she was intruding on a private moment. She was sorry she’d asked.

Finally, the angel that was Raven looked up at her friend and gave her a sad smile. “Dex is just a bit anxious about the future. I think we all are. He’s not sure what’s going on with his family. And he hasn’t exactly told them about me.”

“The minute they do, they’ll never let me see you again,” Dexter muttered. “Godmother, I wish we could just get away from it all.”

“What, like leave Ever After? That’s smart.”

Raven’s brow furrowed. “No…like leave all of this. Just escape and go somewhere devoid of all this fairytale bullshit.”

Cedar blinked. It was something she liked to do. It made her feel like a real girl. But her blink was a hard one, one that showed she was trying to process what Raven said.

Leave the Fairytale World?

They reached the library. The sight of the tall oak doors reminded her she was late for her meeting with Holly O’Hair. Curses! She’d forgotten.

“Sorry, I have to go!” She waved goodbye to her friends before sprinting into the library. Her shoes clicked loudly against the linoleum flooring, causing the Step-Librarians to shush her. She gave them a thumbs-up in response.

Holly sat at one of the far tables by the huge wall of windows. Her cascading red hair seemed to shimmer in the afternoon sunlight. Cedar hurried over as quietly as she could.

“Finally,” her friend said, giving her a gentle smile. “I was beginning to wonder if you were coming.”

Cedar explained the hold-up while she got settled across from her. She pulled out her MirrorPad and her MirrorPencil, switched the device on, and opened her drawing software. “I was able to finish the illustrations for Chapter Two last night. Did you get my MirrorMail?”

Holly and Cedar were collaborating on a secret project. With Holly’s debut book coming out in the spring, she decided to work on a new venture, this time involving lots of illustrations. It was to be a graphic novel, one about fairy magic and cowardly knights and brave princesses. When Holly pitched the idea to Cedar, she jumped at the opportunity. This was her chance to get her work out there. She had to get used to digital painting since acrylics and canvas were her main mediums, but it wasn’t long before she was creating virtual artwork like some of her favorite artists.

Holly turned her MirrorPC around so Cedar could see the screen. The second chapter’s illustrations were displayed prominently across the screen. “I love all the pages you did! They’re perfect as-is—just like I imagined. You’re so talented!”

Cedar smiled. “Thanks. My schedule’s pretty much empty for the next couple of weeks, so I figured I could get started on the next chapter. What sorts of concepts were you thinking?”

“Oh, that’s hexcellent! With all the fallout from the queen’s passing, my schedule has cleared up as well.” Holly pulled out a stack of papers from her backpack. “Here’s the script for Chapter Three. No new scenery this time, so it should be easier for you. Let me know what your thoughts are.”

Cedar took the script and began to flip through it. The main character, Princess Ophelia, had just watched her fiance get kidnapped by mysterious fairies. She was then consoled by her princess friends, who suggested that Ophelia journey to find out what happened to her true love. As a traditional princess, Ophelia balked at the idea of putting herself in danger, but she was soon convinced. Together, she and her friends plotted and planned for their mission. Cedar liked all of Holly’s stories, and this one was no different. She was excited to illustrate her ideas.

The pair fell into a comfortable silence soon after—Cedar finished reading and taking notes while Holly worked on a new story with her favored pink quill and parchment. Cedar still favored traditional media over digital, so she began trying out concepts for the chapter in her beloved sketchbook.

A sniffle broke the silence. Cedar whipped her head around and watched as a younger student raced out of the library, sobbing quietly. It was a common sight in the wake of Snow White’s death, though Cedar couldn’t quite understand what would cause people to feel so strongly about a queen they’d likely never met. She wished it hadn’t happened, of course, and she didn’t want to see people so downtrodden. But she didn’t _get it_.

“A lot of that in our future, huh,” Holly remarked, looking forlorn herself.

Cedar nodded. “I think Apple’s presence at the school is keeping it fresh in everyone’s minds. People see her and get even sadder.”

“Oh, definitely. She looks so sad these days. I feel awful for her.”

Cedar looked down at her sketch. Ophelia’s best friend, Princess Myla, had her arm draped around her friend. It wasn’t hard to substitute Apple for Ophelia in the drawing. “Well, at least she’s got people supporting her. I’m going to make an effort to stop by her room more. And it’s really interesting how Darling seems closer to Apple now than before the queen died.”

“Huh?”

A line here, a stroke there, and the first panel’s concept sketch was complete. “Oh, you know…I saw Darling walking with her to her classes today. She was holding her books. They looked really tight.” Cedar chuckled. “Maybe they’ll end up together after all.”

Holly’s quill clattered on the table, rolling to a stop once it hit Cedar’s wooden fingers. Cedar glanced up. Holly’s face was ash white.

“Are you okay?”

She blinked a few times before shaking her head. “Yeah, yeah. I’m good.”

“You don’t look fine. Are you not happy about them being together? Did I say something wrong?”

“Cedar, really, it’s fine,” Holly said, staring at her parchment. “Destiny’s destiny, right?”

Cedar paused. Holly looked royally displeased at the thought of Darling and Apple being together. It was almost as if…

No. It couldn’t be.

She wanted to hold her tongue. She really, truly did. But Cedar’s curse compelled the questions out of her against her will.

“Do you like Apple?”

Holly’s eyes widened. “No!” Her whisper was harsh. The Step-Librarians voiced their displeasure accordingly.

“Darling, then?”

The daughter of Rapunzel rested her forehead on the tabletop. Her cheeks grew pinker by the second. “No, it’s just…oh, for the love of all the fairy godmothers!” She whipped her head up, her auburn locks swishing around her face. “Darling told me she likes me. There, I said it.”

All Cedar could do was raise her eyebrows. “Darling likes you? How—when?”

“I kind of pried the secret out of her. She didn’t want to tell me, and then I made her uncomfortable, and now she’s avoiding me.” Holly looked miserable. “And she’s hanging out with Apple. Clearly, she’s moved on.”

“But you don’t want her to.” Holly’s feelings were clear to Cedar, but were they clear to Holly herself?

Holly’s blush deepened. “I—I didn’t…” She sighed. “Can we drop this?”

Right. Rejection. Cedar was used to it. Even her closest friends were hesitant to tell her their secrets. Whispers always whipped around her wooden head, reminding her that she was an outsider in their world looking in. Cedar was a puppet, not a real girl. She couldn’t lie. She wasn’t one of them.

There was that internal splinter again.

She massaged her heartwood, trying to keep the words at bay. But thanks to her stupid curse, she had to say them anyway. “I understand why you don’t want to confide in me, though it hurts when my friends keep secrets from me. Maybe one day, when I’m a real girl, you’ll feel comfortable enough to tell me.” She clenched her jaw when the word-vomit had finished.

A second passed, then another. Cedar looked down at her art. She’d better concentrate on her work instead of breaching potentially sensitive topics. Less of a chance that she’d get burned that way.

“Cedar…”

“Even though I’m hurt, you don’t have to tell me. I’ll get over it eventually.”

Holly’s pale hand reached out and covered her wooden one, freezing her pencil in place. “No, I’m sorry. I’m not being fair to you. You’re my friend, and friends tell each other secrets.”

Cedar glanced up. Holly’s smile was both sheepish and apologetic. “Even if that friend has a truth-telling curse?”

“Even if that friend has a truth-telling curse.” Holly swallowed, looked around to make sure no one else was listening—though one could never be too sure that Kitty Cheshire wasn’t watching from the void—and continued. “I do have a crush on Darling. I haven’t been able to admit it to myself until recently. Where I come from, such things are unheard of. My parents weren’t all that supportive when they heard the news about Apple’s changed destiny.”

“So, you like girls and guys?” Cedar asked. She hated being nosy, but she had no experience with things like that.

Holly bit her lip, looking like she was trying to formulate the answer in her head. “Actually…I don’t think I’ve ever liked a guy.”

“What about Daring?”

She shrugged. “It was easy to pretend I saw something in him. Everyone else fawned over him, so I did too. But I never actually had a crush on him, as much as I tried to trick myself into thinking I did. Darling’s my first real crush on anyone.”

Cedar could definitely relate.

She squeezed her friend’s hand. “Thank you for sharing this with me. I’ll try my best not to tell anyone, even if I have to put swan-tape over my mouth.”

Holly giggled. “Hexcellent. Thanks for being such a good friend.”

Cedar smiled. Besides Raven and Maddie, no one had ever trusted her with heavy, private information. And while she was grateful that Holly trusted her enough to tell her—or at least felt guilty enough to confide in her—she knew this was an anomaly. Until she became a human girl, nothing would change.

The girls fell back into their comfortable working rhythm. Cedar turned back to her sketches, but her mind was filled with intrusive thoughts. She tried pushing them away so she could concentrate.

_No, no, no. I won’t think about it._

Two huge white eyes stared back at her in her mind.

_I have to wait for the Blue-Haired Fairy._

A scaly body. Furry hands. Humongous wings.

Cedar rubbed her eyes. Instead of Banfi, Ophelia’s trusty steed, she’d drawn something she had forbidden herself from imagining.

The Jabberwock.

She erased with the ferocity of a lion, tearing the page in the process. But the faint outline of that cursed creature remained. The Jabberwock was the only thing that could free her from her wooden cage. It had done so last year, and Cedar knew it could do it again. She just needed to get to Wonderland.

And she realized, as her last bits of resolve began to crack, that finding the Jabberwock and getting him to turn her into a real girl was something she wanted to do.

She had to find it. She _needed_ it.


End file.
